Infinitely Loud
by tonbonkittybon
Summary: A boy's life takes a drastic turn when he discovers a power that could change the world around him. - opening chapters occur during No Such Luck- (Loud House AU x Infinite Stratos event rearrangement)
1. INTRO: Wish Me Luck (Part 1)

_Why?_

_Why do I put up with all this crap?_

_Why do I take it all in stride?_

_They never learn._

_No matter how many times I tell them, they never learn._

_Why don't they listen to me?_

It's not new. Those same thoughts have been echoing inside Lincoln's head for years. The same good intentions he kept exerting onto his family were once a symbol of the pride of his family...they keep turning into weapons used by his family against him. First with the stupid polar bear environment thing which turned out to be a huge letdown, then the overreacting to his video with the humiliating reception, and then the sister fight protocol, the endless assault that resulted from Lisa acting normal, the list goes on and on.

It finally reached its boiling point when Lynn overreacted to her most recent loss: before the game "no sick luck thinking you could stay home you're coming", three hours later "bad luck if you come you're staying home". Oh, how such a little white lie blossomed into a giant stain on the canvas. He wanted some time alone; now, he has too much of it.

_Why?_

_Why does this always happen to me?_

_Why always me whenever things go wrong?_

_Someone help me...help me not be me anymore._

Lincoln could've handle being booted out of family activities, if they hadn't boarded up his room and furniture, or booted him out of the house altogether. He couldn't take it anymore. He no longer wanted any part of this madness. He didn't want to be their lightning rod anymore, the one person that everyone sticks in front of the storm. He wanted out, but he didn't have a plan to get out.

_Why do I keep feeding this insanity?_

All he knew was that no matter what happened, the brunt of the pain would always fall on him. It could stop with him as well. He has to put a permanent stop to this stupid cycle.

But...how?

Luckily, this was a rare night where it was warm enough to not require a jacket, so he decided to take a stroll. This way, he could vent his frustrations out on the moments that sent him on a downward spiral, without fear of retaliation.

_("My team has been dominating all season, then the one time you show up, we lose!")_

Who was it that threatened him with a baseball bat into coming in the first place?

_("Oh, come on, Lynn! That is absolutely...true... I think I may be onto something here.")_

If only he hadn't said that. If only he went against his desire for just that one moment.

_("Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa. Not so fast, son. I wish you could come, but with your bad luck, who knows what could go wrong?")_

Even his own father bought himself into that notion. His father, the one person who was supposed to maintain family standards, who has now degraded himself to Lynn's level of ridiculousness.

_("Sorry, Lincoln, but you can't sleep here tonight. We just can't risk it.")_

"Sorry...sorry. Sorry! That's all anyone ever says nowadays!" Lincoln got angry, "Sorry this, sorry that...what sorry do you mean?! Sorry you feel that way?! Sorry you couldn't shape yourself to their standard?! Well, I got a sorry for you right here!" With one punch, he broke a mailbox stand in half. He stormed off looking for a way to vent some more anger out.

The spring breeze helped cool him off a little, but he needed to get himself out of this cycle. He looked around for some more inspiration. He didn't find much.

Just a huge demonstration around some gigantic machine. A lot of women were surrounding it, scanning with even weirder machines and typing all sorts of mumbo jumbo on numerous tablets. He didn't care that they were there; he just needed something to distract himself from the most recent setbacks, so he walked towards the towering robotic thing.

A green-haired female officer with glasses, saw Lincoln looking up at the machine. "Sorry," the female officer walked towards him, "Demo's closed for the night. You'll have to go home."

Sorry? Not that word again. He hated that word now. He didn't want to obey, but the woman was twice his height, "O-oh...ok..." he turned away and prepared to leave.

"Wait..." Another officer got close enough to recognize his orange pajamas and his white hair, "are you Lincoln Loud?"

"Yeah?" He mumbled.

"Loud..._that_ Loud?" She saw him nod very slowly, almost as if he regretted being called a Loud. She swerved her head back and forth to make sure her staff was busy, "Ok. Five minutes."

"More than enough," he turned back to the giant machine.

Well, it didn't look like just any ordinary machine. It looked like it was a samurai kneeling before its lord...a 10 ft giant kneeling before a pint-sized kid. That got a chuckle out of him, and enticed him to come closer, until he could reach his hand out and touch it. From then on, he drowned out the world around him and focused on just the two beings that locked themselves in the moment. He took in the cold feeling that the samurai emitted from its body and pretended he was having a conversation with himself.

"Wow...you too?" Lincoln started talking, "They're giving you the runaround too?"

The officer noted curiously. She started recording his actions on her phone.

"You're fresh outta the factory, huh?" Lincoln just kept talking, "I bet they're using you just for display. Or worse."

A staff member saw Lincoln, "Hey! What are you-"

"Ah, ah, ah, let the boy have some space..." the officer commanded.

Lincoln leaned his shoulders against the samurai and looked down at their feet, "Yeah, tell me about it. I've done nothing but given my best for my family. Yes, I made mistakes, but I always try to learn from them. With my sisters, it's always the same one-two punch. They make a mistake. They apologize and learn their lesson. The very next day, what lesson? It's the same cycle over and over, and I don't know how to stop it..."

At that point, the giant machine hummed gave off a small glow, as if to answer to Lincoln.

And yet, he didn't notice. He just kept his head down, "A test? What? How's that gonna-"

The machine hummed again.

"I've been looking for a good sign for a long time, though."

The machine didn't hum, but started giving off a warmer glow.

Now, Lincoln was shocked, "You want me to do what?! I just wanted to-"

As soon as the glow subsided, Lincoln realized that a very tdrastic solution was his only real chance of getting his family back to their senses. Anything even slightly less drastic would shut down.

"Ok..." Lincoln said, "I'll do it. But on my terms."

The machine didn't budge. No noise. No light. Lincoln got some of his resolve back. He put his hand on the machine one more time, "Wish me luck..."

As soon as he walked away, he felt a hundred eyes pierce the very thin protective layer of his consciousness. He stared back at the eyes that were expecting him to fail. Soon, he ran into the officer who "greeted" him.

"So, uh..." the officer was nervous, "heard you having a good talk..."

"Yeah...yeah, I was." He nodded.

"Did...did that IS tell you..."

Lincoln quickly changed moods, "Nah! That was all me! I just needed an outlet for my emotions."

"Oh..."

"I'll be going now." He walked back the way he came.

"Wait," the officer quickly strapped a bracelet on him.

"What's this for?" Lincoln asked.

"Uh...for participating in the demo! Yeah!"

Lincoln didn't say anything; he just walked off.

"You'll be by tomorrow, right?" The green-haired woman asked.

"Maybe..." was all he said before he was gone.

On the way back, Lincoln started brainstorming ideas for his test. What would be the best way to get back at his family, and teach them a lesson that actually sticks? Physical pain lasts for days but emotional pain endures forever, that much he knew. So clearly a beat down was not warranted. He also knew that nothing scars a family more than one of their clan choosing to withdraw from their own home, albeit on bad terms. But if he does leave, how would he know that the cycle was stopped? Who's to say it wouldn't transfer to another sister, or even Clyde, or Bobby... or Ronnie Anne? Death of anyone, especially himself, would not be the best choice simply because of the possibility of the blame game intensifying. And going to the police wasn't an option due to either a possible bigger lie by his family, or the blame game and bad luck game stretching out to the city.

And then it came to him. A good way to put a stop to this cycle. He wasn't sure if he even wanted to try it, seeing as how even after the bad luck muck he deeply cared for his family, but after playing the mental conversation with that machine inside his head, he came to the conclusion that it's because of his love for his family that he has to do it.

He would make it seem like he was trying to win back his family's trust, when he would actually be giving them a test. All of them. He would allow them only one chance to pass. If they fail, then game over for the Loud House. He would never forgive or forget. The only thing he would say to them was his new last name, whatever it would be.

It's not that big of a deal if they cut ties with him, but it's an absolute catastrophe if he cuts ties with them? He thought this family was beyond dysfunctional. He thought it couldn't be saved.

Still, he needed a good transition into the test.

And he needed a place to sleep since Charles was obviously buying into the Bad Luck Lincoln hype.

But not the squirrels. They showed him a place to rest his mind, and he just accepted.

Elsewhere in the city, a tall woman with long black hair was trying to ease her headaches at a local restaurant. She may carry the illustrious title of Brunhilde, but it came with a huge stipulation: no free time except in the late night. This day, she was so overworked that she fled to the first restaurant she could find. She had a meal and caught the replay of a softball game on tv, as well as the star player that suddenly lost her composure.

"Bad luck, she says..." She said to herself, "Hah! That's the biggest load of crap I've ever heard. What in the falconeese perverted monkey shy malarkey did she eat to get that superstitious..."

The Brunhilde kept feeding her high spirits until she was interrupted by her cellphone, "Ugh...Can't I go one day without..." *BEEP* "Orimura speaking."

"Miss Orimura! Miss Orimura!" A voice tried to break through the noise, "We have a-"

"Maya! Maya! Maya! Take it easy! Take it down a few notches."

"Don't tell me to take it easy when we have a real crisis on our hands, Chifuyu!" The caller got livid, "We have a _second male pilot_ in our midst!"

Chifuyu laughed, then growled, "Ok. You're not fooling me with this hogwash."

"Seriously! Look at this!"

Chifuyu got a message linking her to a video file. She tapped it open and, at first, seemed unimpressed. Until the moment she saw the inactive IS responding directly to that white-haired boy. "WHAT?!" She spat everything out and dashed out the restaurant. She rewatched the footage three times over to make sure she wasn't seeing things.

"You're...not...joking..." she muttered, "this happened when?!"

"Half an hour ago."

"Oops..." Chifuyu saved the video, "Well, where is he now?"

"1216 Franklin Avenue...he's been sleeping in the backyard for ten minutes..."

"Huh?" Chifuyu stopped in her tracks, "Curious...why would he do that?"

"My money's on family dispute. I caught his downplayed attitude and his vocal frustrations with his family's bad habits."

"Oh, come on..." Chifuyu groaned, " Don't take this the wrong way, but it's best you leave him alone."

"Huh?! Shouldn't we at least try to-"

"Trust me, if we intervene now, we'll only make him angrier. Besides, that kid means we're on observation period now. We're only going to bail him out of life-threatening situations, understand?"

"And if he needs someone to talk to?"

"Talk, not drone on for hours on end...For now, send me his file. Track his every movement, but do not...I really mean, DO NOT ENGAGE unless I say so, clear?"

"Yes, ma'am..." Maya pouted as she hung up. She was standing right over her target, who was shivering sleeping with squirrels, and she gets the order to not engage. She couldn't stand the idea of leaving him alone to brace the unrelenting weather, so she took off her blanket and placed it over Lincoln. Then, she scrambled to find a box and filled it with leaves to make a makeshift pillow for him. She saw him relax his face a little.

She couldn't help but bring her face to his. She thought he looked adorable with that squirrel cuddled in his arms. "We'll be with you in spirit," she kissed his cheek and stood up.

"Nnn...Leni?..."

"Eek!" Maya yelped.

"D...don't leave me...alone..."

Maya sighed, then promptly left, "Steel your soul, little one..."

The next morning, he woke up slightly more rejuvenated than he expected, "Huh...I don't remember getting this..." he shrugged the blanket off, along with the numerous acorns stuffed in his pants, and went to the back door. He tried to open it, "Guys? I think you accidentally locked me out!"

"Poor kid..." Maya said from an inconspicuous tac-ops van, "It must've been a rough dream..."

"And all because of this bad luck nonsense?" Chifuyu radioed over her communicator, "What the hell are these people's IQ levels?!"

"Well, their four-year-old has a Junior Nobel Prize in Medicine for her simulation of a successful malignant cancer treatment."

"... I... I'm not gonna ask..."

"Where are you now?"

"Royal Woods Middle," Chifuyu stood in front of the school's flagpole, "Hard to believe in five weeks, he'll be-"she was suddenly getting feedback "-holy, What was that?"

"CONTRARY TO POPULAR BELIEF, I AM NOT BAD LUCK. I JUST LET YOU GUYS BELIEVE THAT SO I COULD GET OUT OF GOING TO YOUR STUFF. IT WAS A REALLY SELFISH THING TO DO. WE ALL NEED TO SUPPORT EACH OTHER. I'M REALLY SORRY."

"And that?" Chifuyu rubbed her ears, "What even was that?"

"Lincoln's trying to convince them that the bad luck stint was all his idea," Maya answered.

"Any luck? Pardon the pun?"

"Aaaaaah...no. A series of events has solidified their belief that he really is bad luck."

"Ok, now I have serious questions to ask the little Nobel-"

"Oh! His family just left the house! Oh...without him..."

"Right...you have permission to engage..." Chifuyu rubbed her eyes, "Just make sure you let me know where he's going." She disconnected and walked towards the demonstration area, "Well, pickle ricks, I wonder where this is going!"

While Maya tailed Lincoln from afar, Chifuyu slowly walked along the sidewalk thinking about her own little brother. She had her own issues with him, but at the very least she cared for him. She never treated him like bad luck. But one brother looking to one older sister with no parental help whatsoever was very, very different from one brother looking to ten sisters and two seemingly overworked parents, so the stress was bound to get to them. And yet, she thought that the two males were one in the same, nationalities notwithstanding.

Chifuyu sighed and tried to get that thought out of her head. She came across the park where the IS Public demonstration was in full swing.

"Yeah..." she groaned in disgust, "Like I expected anything else..." It was nothing new for her. A horde of event goers. A horde of hands rubbing the thighs of a very patient robot. And not one of them could come anywhere close to moving it the way Lincoln did.

Speaking of which, she saw Lincoln standing 50 feet in front of her, looking like he had developed some kind of plan of action.

"Well, at least he's not crying..." she muttered as she walked closer to him.

"Hello again," Lincoln whispered, "I thought about what we said, and...I'm gonna go through with it. I'll be back soon to let you know how it went."

As if to respond, the machine briefly lit up one of its wing units, then quickly shut off before anyone could notice.

"Heheheh...count on it..." Lincoln winked back before he walked away.

"Hey!"

He heard an older female voice calling to him and turned around, "Huh? Do I know you?"

"No," Chifuyu said, "But you know how fast rumors spread in small towns."

"Am I that well known?"

"Pretty much."

"That so?" Lincoln started to rub his heels.

"I gotta ask...what's all this about?"

"What?"

"The jammies, the cloak," Chifuyu stopped him and brushed his neck, "the acorns that lodged on your backside like barnacles..."

"I thought I got rid of all of them."

"There we go," Chifuyu wrapped the blanket around his neck like a shawl, "What exactly happened to make you... look like this?"

"Well..."

The next few minutes were spent staring into space as she heard Lincoln's story, trying to repress every urge she had to chase after these people and demand answers.

"...and that's how I will become a squirrel," Lincoln finished his story.

"Wow...that's...just...sad," Chifuyu said.

"It happened..."

"So, your plan...I hate to ask, but is that like a...coping mechanism?" Chifuyu couldn't resist.

"A what?"

"You know...when you're feeling really sad, you just tell yourself you can get over it by doing something else?"

Chifuyu had expected to be berated for even suggesting that he was hiding his true emotions.

But to her surprise, he just said, "Ehhh, something like that."

She just turned her gaze forward. She wondered what he could've been through to make him hide his true emotions from his own loved ones, "Has it been going on for too long?"

"It does grate on me after a while."

Chifuyu kept quiet. She didn't want to probe into the matter anymore since she herself has a little brother that went through his share of the pain.

"I'm sorry for asking," Lincoln interrupted her train of thought, "but do you know somewhere private I can drop on?"

"Well..." Chifuyu winced, "Yeah, but it's being driven by someone who's not very well versed in the ways of privacy..."

"I'll take anything. I just need a place to think."

"Sure thing..." Chifuyu tapped her communicator, "Ok, Maya. Bring her around."

The van slowly approached them, and the door swung open to reveal a very roomy space with a lone driver, the same green hair and glasses, "Hello, there. Welcome aboard the Yamada exp-"

Chifuyu covered Maya's mouth, "Not now, Chatty Cathy..."

"Hahahahaha!" Lincoln chuckled and boarded the van, "Can you escort me to the baseball stadium, my darling?"

"Oh! It'll be my pleasure, good sir," Maya said shyly, "Take a seat, and we'll be right shortly."

The two shared another giggle before Lincoln had a seat.

"Well..." Chifuyu muttered, "Now, I've seen everything..."

"Come on, Miss Orimura," Maya said, "There's room for one more."

"I know we're not at the Academy, but could you please ease up on the glee?" Chifuyu grumbled as she walked to her seat.

The van drove off. Maya could feel some apprehension in Lincoln and tried to lighten the mood, "I see you're in high spirits today?"

"I am," Lincoln responded, "I just ran into a familiar face!"

"Oh! Why, thank you!" Maya giggled, "and you still have that bracelet on you?"

"Never took it off."

"Huh?" Chifuyu was curious, "Now, why is that?"

Lincoln flinched, "Uh-did I say that out loud?..."

"Not to worry, litttle Loud," Chifuyu grinned, "Your secret's safe with us."

"Oh, good..." Lincoln sighed.

"My name is Maya Yamada," Maya introduced, "the woman beside you is (...my associate...) Chifuyu Orimura."

"Watch it, ditz fritz," Chifuyu was about to nag on her, but seeing as how that got another chuckle out of Lincoln, she kept silent.

Maya drove onto the main road leading to the stadium, "So, what's the special occasion today, good sir?"

"Well, she definitely knows," Lincoln pointed his thumb at Chifuyu, "but I have a plan to deal with this nasty bad luck trend thing, and my family's annoying "antics". My plan is simple: I watch the game in disguise, and when the Squirrels win, everyone will see that I'm not bad luck."

"Simple, yet quite daring," Maya said, "And what happens after that?"

"The test," Lincoln's mood suddenly got somber, "After I reveal myself to them, and they say...that word... I'll observe them for 24 hours to see if it sticks."

"Where did that come from?!" Maya grew unsettled. She wondered what that conversation was about test and sorry...now she knows, "O-oh...Uh, you must have pretty high hopes for a passing grade, right?..."

"Yeah...maybe a little too high..." Lincoln looked out the window.

Chifuyu just slammed her forehead, "I told you not now..." She noticed Lincoln starting to get lost in his thoughts, so she quickly changed topic to the correct event, "So, how are you gonna get into the stadium?"

"I'm guessing that you're gonna borrow a costume?" Maya confirmed.

"Oh! Oh, yeah, if they'll let me," Lincoln returned to his senses.

"On this mild day?" Chifuyu said, "There's no way that mascot wouldn't say no to a long cold break."

When they got to the stadium...

"No can do," the mascot bluntly stated.

"What?! Why?!" Lincoln demanded.

"Lynn will freak out if you come and dance your way into her sights," the mascot explained.

"Does that mean you buy into the bad luck brouhaha, too?" Chifuyu got in the mascot's face.

"Well...not really, but-"

"Listen," Maya coaxed, "Forget the bad luck crud. This kid is offering you a full game stretch! A chance to witness the epic finale to an epic season! And yet you would rather sweat your fat, jiggly belly off than relax in the crisp air and enjoy the satisfying thwack of the bat?"

"Well... I never liked having to toot my own horn in this thing..." the mascot turned to Lincoln, "Can you handle standing in this thing for hours on end?"

"Yes, I can," was all he said.

"And we'll be there to support him," Maya said.

"Wait, what?" Chifuyu suddenly shivered.

"Alright. Job's yours," the mascot took off the suit and pushed it onto Lincoln, "It's the playoffs right now, and tensions are high. I better see you dance your heart out, kid. Turn this bad luck nonsense around, yeah?"

"Wait, we're gonna do what?!" Chifuyu's bewilderment fell on dear ears.

"Yes, sir!" Lincoln got excited. He thought this was his chance to see how his family would react to his presence at the game.

Chifuyu had her doubts, "Are you sure you don't wanna just... you know, sit in the van? I mean, you're technically still at the game-"

"I appreciate it, but I can't," Lincoln said, "I was out in the open when the Squirrels lost, and I need to be out in the open when the Squirrels win."

"Besides, this is his choice," Maya hugged him, "He chose to don the costume for the sake of proving his family wrong. Surely you can understand a brother's affection for his family, right?"

"But he just..." Chifuyu faltered, "That's not what-"

Maya crossed a huge line when she said, "And you did say that we would bail him out of life threatening situations. Knowing Lincoln's bad luck, he's bound to get hurt. Just like a certain someone who also got hurt around his age..."

"His-who?" Lincoln was puzzled.

"Ugh..." Chifuyu finally gave in, "You're gonna pay for that..."

"Sorry," Maya bowed, "I just wanted to see you blush. And join in this little break, since we're about to go nuts."

"*SIGH...*" Chifuyu was already about to turn it in, "Ok, Lincoln. What's the game plan?"

"Oh, it's simple," Lincoln said, "I got you these hats and jerseys. Just put those on and walk me in. They'll buy the act. Once we're in, I'll do the heavy work, and you guys keep me from falling."

"I'm not gonna hold my breath, but I'll make sure we see this through," Chifuyu affirmed.

"We'll cheer you all on," Maya said.

_Ok...I'll do it._

_Once more...I'll feed the insanity just once more._

"Ok, team!" Lincoln declared, "Commence Operation: Change Our Luck!"

The softball game went underway. The trio were able to infiltrate the Squirrels' bullpen, where they released Lincoln to do his business with Lady Luck. It was harsh business indeed because the Squirrels were scoreless for every single inning leading to the bottom 9th. Missed pitches, hits caught, and Lynn got thrown for a loop several times. If that wasn't enough, Lincoln was putting himself through the heat to see this game through. Thankfully, Chifuyu and Maya routinely cooled him off and cheered the team on, allowing him to keep going. Chifuyu even caught a stray bat that was tossed by accident. But nothing changed the play of the game.

It was Hazeltuck: 3, Royals Woods: 0 until the very last batter.

"Yowza," the baseball announcer said, "Two outs in the bottom of the ninth, and the bases are loaded. Lynn Loud steps up to the plate, but with the luck she's been having today, the Squirrels are looking a whole lot like roadkill."

"Bases loaded?!" Chifuyu suddenly screamed at Lynn, "COME ON, FOCUS! ONE LOUSY HIT IS ALL WE NEED TO STAY ALIVE!"

After Maya helped him recover, Lincoln danced even harder, "One hit! We just need one hit!"

The pitcher wound up, then threw the ball. A swing and a miss.

"STRIKE ONE!" The umpire called out, and Chifuyu cringed.

Lincoln suddenly lost his confidence, "Lynn's right! I _am _bad luck!"

"Don't say that, Lincoln!" Maya encouraged, "There's still two more throws to go!"

The pitcher wound up and threw the ball again. Another swing and a miss.

"STRIKE TWO!" The umpire bellowed.

"Maybe I can move into Lisa's fallout shelter?" Lincoln said to himself, "Lead walls will keep my bad luck from affecting anyone."

"Not cool, discount Bane!" Maya screamed.

Chifuyu saw through the costume how badly Lincoln was suffering, and how much he needed Lynn to win. "Oh boy, what am I doing?..." she muttered before giving one last shout, "KNOCK THIS SUCKER OUTTA THE PARK, LYNN-SANITY!"

The pitcher wound up and threw the final ball.

**-_THWACK!-_**

"Huh?!" Maya and Lincoln jumped, "Is that..."

"Not yet..." Chifuyu kept her eyes on the scrambling players, especially the Lynn who made a mad dash across the bases.

"It's going...it's going..." the announcer came on right before Lynn touched third base, "IT'S GONE!!! LYNN LOUD HITS A GRAND SLAM!!! SQUIRRELS WIN! SQUIRRELS WIN!"

"Then, that means..." Lincoln jumped for joy, "Bad luck begone! I am free!"

"We did it!" Maya cheered with him, "We won! We won!"

Chifuyu waited until she saw Lynn reach home plate before dropping her demeanor. Then, she turned around and saw Lincoln's family elated, and Maya and Lincoln share a brief celebration before running off to meet with his family. And she was briefly overwhelmed with that same feeling. She hadn't been part of a family celebration since...ever, "Guh...I need a drink..."

Lynn completed her run and was picked up by her family in celebrations, "Congratulations! You rocked it, Lynn-sanity!"

"And a doctor, apparently..." Chifuyu muttered, "The hell did they get down here so fast?!"

"Is that them?" Maya grabbed Lincoln, "That's your family, right?"

"Yep! That's them!" Lincoln steadied himself.

"Go! They're waiting for you, man! Go!" Maya pushed Lincoln towards his family, and he ran after them. He caught up to their group before they could leave.

Lola took notice of the goofy mascot, "Um, do you mind, fur ball? This is a family moment."

"Guys, it's me!" Lincoln took the mask off and revealed himself, "I was here the whole time! This proves it. I'm not bad luck."

Lynn was surprised that he made the effort, "Oh my gosh, you're right. Wow, Lincoln, I'm really sorry."

The rest of his family apologized. Lincoln smiled at them.

**ALL APOLOGIES RECEIVED; COMMENCE 24HR TEST — STARTING GRADE: A**

Chifuyu looked on and thought that Lincoln would be ok. But that one moment of silence was more than enough to hear a very disturbing exchange.

From his own mother, "Sorry we sold all your furniture."

Lincoln stopped and looked at her, "Wait. What?"

**DEMERIT: SOLD FURNITURE WITHOUT PRIOR NOTIFICATION — GRADE CHANGE TO: B**

Chifuyu froze. She didn't believe it. His own mother admitted...way too casually...that his entire family sold all his furniture...without his consent...just like that. Just...poof. It took every ounce of her being to not ram into them and demand extremely convincing answers.

She backed up towards a distraught Maya and whispered, "Maya...am I going deaf?..."

"Nope, I heard it too," Maya confirmed, "His own mother..."

"Dangit..." Chifuyu was struggling against her need to intervene, "our observational period isn't over yet..."

Maya remembered that Lincoln himself would test his family. She wanted to see him work their trust into him, but she couldn't help the feeling that his luck would run out in someway. "Well, our 48 hours will encompass his 24 hours. Shall I call for backup?" She asked.

They stood there as they witnessed Lincoln enter the family van...with the squirrel costume still on.

"Yeah, maybe call up two entrance exam proctors?" Chifuyu responded, "And a legal team?"

They needed them. Because later that night...

_I can do it._

_I can reach out to them._

_I still have a chance to stop this cycle._

_I don't have to drop the ball yet..._

Lincoln held out hope that night. He knew he would return to the graces of his family. He knew that they would no longer consider him bad luck. But the real question was whether or not they would keep that lesson learned. The answer was already up in the air the moment his mother admitted that his family sold his furniture, but he went along with it to see if anything else had happened. Knowing how quickly lessons learned are stowed away in the dark recesses of their minds, Lincoln took extra note to everything that happened, starting from the moment he set foot on the porch.

"Man, ice cream after a hard win always feels amazing!" Lynn held her bat high like a trophy.

"Ahhh...after all that lick and luck," Lincoln took the mask off and stretched, "it does feel good to finally be back home."

"Wait, wait, wait, wait!" Leni got in front of him and grabbed the door knob, "Allow me." Instead of unlocking and pushing, she just yanked the knob broke. "AAAAAAAAA!"

Her scream somehow pushed it open.

"Wow, Leni!" Lincoln led everyone in, "Some lungs of steel you got there!"

"Steel?" Leni got frantic, "*GASP* Am I poisoned?!"

If that came from anyone else, that would be cause for concern, but since it came from the sister well known for her simplemindedness, it's not a warning sign...yet. The fact that the door opened after it lost its handle was a big warning sign.

While the family was getting dinner ready, Lincoln was showering... not really. He just stood still in under the running water unable to shake the feeling of uncertainty. He turned off the water, dried and dressed himself, and instantly bolted out of the bathroom, "IRON METEOOOOOOOOOR-"

-CRASH-

He plowed through the door and it's many padlocks and wandered around his room. It was completely empty, just as he expected. So, what was the problem?

"Ahem."

"AAAAA!" Lincoln flinched, "LUC-Oh...hey, Lori?"

"We could've just used Leni for that," Lori said, "Why'd you go knuckling down the door?"

"I...Uh..." Lincoln stuttered, "Oh! Bun-bun! Yeah, I was so worried that someone might've-"

"Hahaha, is that all?" Lori giggled, "He's having the time of his life." She pointed to Lily slobbering over Bun-bun's ears.

Lincoln nearly gagged until he thought of the night he was kicked out. He survived; Bun-bun could've been doggie doo-doo by now, "Whew...glad to see he's in good hands." He started to walk out until Lori said something.

"Um, Lincoln..."

"Yeah?"

"About that night we locked you out..." Lori was near cringing, "If you want, I could...lend you some space in my room?..."

Lincoln was bewildered, "You never do that...are you sure?"

"Yeah...better late than never, right?"

"Come on, Lori. If that's all it-"

"I just wanted to say I'm sorry. That's all..."

Oh no. Not that word again. Of all the equivalencies of an apology, why that one?

"Hey!" Lana suddenly popped into his room. Through the window, "Or, we could make a new bed for him so you won't have to put up with his BO." She casually said ignoring the dual screams.

"Excuse me," Lucy suddenly popped out from the hallway, causing a second scream, "It's time for dinner."

"WHAT DID I SAY, FREAKAZOID?!" Lori chased after Lucy for ruining the moment and scaring the daylights and nightlights out of her.

Honestly, hearing the word "sorry" made him _want_ to sleep outside again. Thankfully, it came from Lori who tried to comfort him. So, no warning signs there.

The first red flags came at dinner. While everyone was going about the rowdy conversations, not once bringing up the bad luck fiasco, Lola, Luan, and Lynn kept their eyes on him at all times. Lincoln would've been worried about hearing no plans to refit his room, but he had to make sure that at least Lola and Lynn got the message. After dinner, he decided to meet each of them in their rooms.

Since Lynn felt safer to handle than Lola, and she was the reason for this bad luck nonsense, he knocked on her door first, "Hello? Lynn?"

"BOUNCE TIME!"

Lynn smacked her tennis ball against the wall so hard, it ricocheted across the room and stayed in the air.

"Heh, someone's in high spirits!" Lincoln commented.

"Oh, I am!" Lynn caught the ball with her feet, then flipped down to hug him, "and it's all thanks to you!"

Normally, he would embrace her. But her getting psyched about her win, with no thoughts of the bad luck accusations, could only mean one thing. And Lincoln hoped he was wrong, "Me? Uh, what did I do?"

"You showed up in the most tense inning of the game! I am still flipping out over it!"

"Happy to help, my superhuman compadre!"

"I'll say! That squirrel suit works wonders, huh?"

"I'll admit, I do look adoorrraawwwuuuuuuhhhhhh?..." Nope. He was right.

"You know what I mean," Lynn smugly said, "That suit reversed your bad luck!"

"But...you won. With one swing."

"Because you had the costume on."

"Waaait, waitwaitwaitwait, haven't we been through this before?"

"If you want, I can make a potion to rid him of all bad and good luck," Lucy offered, "It'll take some time, though."

All kinds of alarms went off in his head. She still hasn't let go of her superstitions against him, and Lucy's an enigma. After five whole minutes of unsuccessful convincing, he had to place Lynn and Lucy on his avoidance list.

While he went to his parents for help to try to talk some sense into Lynn, Chifuyu and her team had already hacked their way into Lisa's camera systems and were watching his every move undetected.

"Anything yet?" Chifuyu asked.

"No strange activity yet," an agent said.

"Well, what about the testimony and the charges?"

"Well, we've pegged Lynn Loud Jr. to be the main perpetrator of this mess," one of the lawyers said, "added to the fact that she influenced her parents to force the pilot-in-question out of his own house, the parents could face jail, but Lynn will face juvenile."

"Uhhh, let's wait until the observation period is concluded before we go that far..." Chifuyu turned to the exam proctors, "See any standout qualities?"

"Other than his familial affection, no," a proctor said, "I don't understand why his family's acting up, though."

"What do you mean?" Chifuyu turned the speakers up to get a good listen.

"I'm just saying, son," his father said, "With all that's happened between you and the suit, it might relax everyone's consciousness for a little bit."

"But tomorrow's a heat wave!" Lincoln protested, "I could stroke out! Or worse!"

"When we come back from the trip," his mom tried to help, "we'll get it off you for good."

"We already tried that, and look what happened last time!" Lincoln freaked, "Don't you think this is getting a bit redundant?!"

"Oh my..." Maya commented, "Switch to the upstairs cam, please?"

"Ah, hello?" Lori butt in, "I'm the oldest sibling, and I say he does _not_ wear that stupid thing."

"Well, I say, he _does_!" Lola fought back, "Just look at what happened when he took that mask off!"

"Not to mention the streak of horror that stopped when he came in the costume," Lucy said.

"The squirrel can still save him, Lori!" Luan tried to convince, "We just have to-"

"Are you listening to yourselves?! You're literally letting this go to your head! Again!"

"Like how that doorknob thing didn't get to his head?" Lynn demanded.

"How in the asshole can he stand these people?..." Chifuyu grumbled, "Go to the living room..."

"I still don't understand why Linky has to wear that thing," Leni said.

"I still don't understand why we're having this discussion," Lisa was playing math stuffs with Lily, "It's obvious that our plague-wracked male sibling is in denial."

"You were never a fan of luck before, Lis," Luna commented.

"Well, certain unforeseeable events tend to favor the odd...man...out," Lisa rambled, "We simply need to isolate that out to ensure safety for the rest of the family."

"Can't argue with that," Lana agreed, "Although I still wanna make a bed just 'cuz!"

"Well, ok, but I still don't like it," Leni said, "You think anything bad will happen to him?"

"Naw, man. He's as tough as they come," Luna said, "He'll sweat it off no problem."

"Um...I dunno."

"Wow," Maya chuckled, "They're really giving him too much credit in all the wrong places, eh, Miss Orimura?" She noticed that someone was gone, "Miss Orimura?!"

**DEMERIT: IGNORANCE — GRADE CHANGE TO: C **

Chifuyu had deployed her IS just to get away from it all. She hopped rooftop after rooftop to exert as much frustration as possible, but no matter how far she ran, she couldn't escape that little episode. Watching Lincoln suffer through the family luck fight was bad enough, but to have it remind her of the one time she lost control of her frustrations and lashed out at her own younger brother...

_"Why can't you just help out?! God, I wish we had parents, sometimes. I can't have a boyfriend because of you, I can't go out and hang out with people... I can't even have any normal friends! Can't you at least learn to help out?!"_

_"B-But...Chifuyu-nee...don't you...love me?..."_

"Og-ugh...damn, that's some bad ginger ale..." Chifuyu stopped on top of a light post and nearly puked. That little spiel was eight years ago, when she was 16 and he was 8. Now, they're on very good terms, but back then...

"Come on, Lori...pull through for me..." Chifuyu opened a private communication channel to her home.

_If only I hadn't worn that costume._

_If only I had just shown my pajamas and not feed the insanity again._

_Why do I keep making these stupid mistakes?_

Those thoughts kept circulating Lincoln's head as he laid in his empty room. He thought he could get to them. For five hours, he tried to get to them. He didn't know who was getting the message because they all sent different messages back. He remembered Lori giving him permission to come to her room. He didn't want to take that chance, but it was the only alternative he had.

Lori was texting away with Bobby, slightly more worried about their relationship. She didn't notice Lincoln sneak his way to her side.

"Psst...Lori..."

She said without looking, "Whatever it is, it better be-Oh my gosh!" She saw Lincoln dejected and drew him in, "I am so sorry! I didn't see you-"

"Lori!" That word again, "It's ok! I'm fine."

"You don't sound fine."

Lincoln got on her bed, "Yeah, I know. It's just...I hate the word "sorry" now."

"Gee, I..." Lori thought back to all the times that she and the family had said sorry to him. In the past few hours. "Have we been saying it too much?"

"Yeah...it's not just today," Lincoln tucked himself in beside Lori, "It's happened before, but it's ramped up to 11. I don't know what'll happen if I let this go on any longer."

"Bobby's been nagging me about it, too."

"Really?"

"Bobby heard you say you're not bad luck, so he's been asking me about it, and I...blabbed," Lori showed him one of Bobby's texts:

Boo-boo Bear: "WOW. No offense, babe, but your family cut it _really_ close this time. I'm glad he's ok, but...GEEZ..."

"Heheheh..." Lincoln laughed, "Can you imagine if it was someone other than Bobby?"

"Like Ronnie Anne?" Lori giggled, "Ha! She'd probably flip the whole house on its side!"

That night provided some comfort for Lincoln. He was able to confide in her his very personal struggles. And she was actually able to offer a few pieces of advice, one of them very haunting which they both kept on standby.


	2. INTRO: Wish Me Luck (Part 2)

The next day, however...

Chifuyu and Maya were trapped in the tac-ops van nearby the beach, watching as the boy was forced to put the squirrel costume on in the sweltering heat.

"This... is...un...real..." Chifuyu muttered, hand stuck on her forehead, right eye continuously twitching, "This isn't real. This cannot be real. I absolutely refuse to believe this is real."

"Oh, it's real..." Maya said.

"Do they know that this is child endangerment?! Borderline neglect?!"

"Uh, gimme a sec..." Maya scanned Lincoln's vitals, "Body temperature is a little high but still within range, but he's starting to sweat profusely."

"Yep, I'm calling it," Chifuyu got up and stripped to her underwear, "Shut it down. We got all the observation we need. You have fun." She then yanked the door off and stormed out.

"Huh?!" Maya panicked, "Wait, where are you going?!"

"Gonna give them 11 pieces of my mind."

"Wait! Lincoln's not Ichika!"

"Piss off, moe momma!"

**DEMERIT: CHILD ENDANGERMENT — GRADE CHANGE TO: D (WARNING)**

"Hey, Lincoln!" Lola shouted, "Put the head back on before we get stung by a jellyfish!"

_What's wrong with me?_

_Why did I choose to do this?_

_Why can't I stop the cycle?_

Lincoln was stunned. He wanted to come with his family, but not like this. Earlier this morning, he and Lori tried to talk everyone out of the bad good luck crud, but thanks to Lynn, Lola, and Lisa of all people, he had to wear the suit for good luck. He shifted his gaze to his oldest sibling, who was just as lost for words as he was.

Lori tried to enjoy the beach activities, but seeing Lincoln just standing there kept her off her mood. She waited far too long to say something, and now not even her firstborn dominance could get him out of that suit. But then she hatched an idea to distract her siblings to buy him enough time to at least breathe.

"Hey!" She grabbed a beach ball and threw it, "Bounce time!" Everyone rushed into the water.

"Really?!" Lincoln piped, "Can I come?!"

Before Lori could answer, Lynn got to him first, "No! Without your good luck suit, you'll ruin our fun!"

"Nice try. You're not fooling us," Lola said.

Lincoln felt his forehead becoming unbearably musty, "Could I at least enter the water while I'm in the suit?"

The family looked at each other.

"I don't think that will hurt anything," his dad thought.

"Maybe his good luck will pass onto the water and dolphins will come our way!" Leni quipped.

"Are you guys kidding?!" Lola remained firm, "The water will just pass through the suit and touch his body then the water might become contaminated or something!"

And to Lori's shock, everyone agreed and turned to Lincoln.

"Sorry, dude. We won't be here much longer," Luna said.

"Ok, that...semi went as planned," Lori muttered angrily, "At least now, I can drench him with-"

"Lori?" Her Mom suddenly called, "Would you mind running to the shack and getting some smoothies?"

"Oh. What about Lincoln?"

"I'll watch him. He'll be fine."

**DEMERIT: CHILD NEGLECT — GRADE CHANGE TO E (DANGER)**

Lori desperately wanted to snap her cellphone in half. But she saw Leni listening in seashells and calmed herself down, just enough to approach her with the coldest water bottle she had, "Leni? Do me a favor and hand this over to Lincoln, will you?"

"Oh, no pro-" Leni was about to take the drink, but- "errrr...isn't the good luck gonna end if he takes it off?"

Lori twitched, then used the bad luck situation to her advantage, "That's just it! This is Lucy's Luck-b-Gone! She finished it this morning! If he drinks this, it'll get rid of his bad luck!"

"Oooo, that's totes sweet!" Leni snatched the bottle and ran off, "Linky will be so happy to hear this!"

Lori sighed in relief, and then slapped herself for playing along with the luck thing again, "Set the timer for payback, as if I didn't already know what's coming..."

Meanwhile, Chifuyu scoured the beach for any sign of the Loud family. She was just about ready to tear into the parents' rear ends for putting Lincoln through such misery, when she spotted a blonde haired, blue eyed teenager walking in her direction.

She wondered, "Alcott?"

"Huh? Alcott? Apricot? Who's..."

Chifuyu realized that the teen in front of her wasn't... "Oh. Ah, sorry. I just...you look just like someone else, that's all."

"Oh," Lori scratched her head, "I do get that a lot. Well, what brings you here?"

"I'm looking for someone. Name's Chifuyu, by the way."

"Nice to meet you. I'm Lori Loud."

"Huh? Loud?" Chifuyu repeated, "Then...would you happen to know where your brother is?"

Lori got a little worried, "Oh, Uh... he's..." she peeped over Chifuyu's shoulder and saw someone get to Lincoln before Leni did, "...safe at least..."

Chifuyu looked behind as well, "That's a good sign."

"Good sign? Do you know him?"

"That's a..." Chifuyu tried to come up with an excuse, but nothing seemed to stick, "*SIGH...* Why don't we share a drink...we got a lot to talk about..."

Back in the heat mascot, Lincoln's vision got hazy and his head started aching, "Ugh...what's happening to me..." he was about to get nauseous, until a massive wave of cool air pushed the sweat off his brow, "OHHHHHH! Thanks, Leni! I needed that!..."

"Heheh, not Leni," Maya quipped.

"Maya?" Lincoln looked up, "Two Lenis?!"

"I thought I was Leni," the real Leni questioned.

"Uh...What are you..." Lincoln felt something cold on his back.

"Easy there, Linc," Maya rubbed lotion on him, "I'm just gonna massage you."

"Uh, Maya? That's not my back!"

"Really? WAA! What did I touch?!"

"Ooh!" Leni drenched him with that cold bottle.

"NABDDKCKODHSJ..." Lincoln shivered, "Not that I don't appreciate it, but...why?..."

"Because it's Lucy's finished luck potion!" Leni answered, "Lori said so herself."

"Uh-oh..." the moment she heard the word 'luck', Maya withdrew from Lincoln's reach.

"Lori?" Lincoln muttered, "Lori said that?..."

"I did not finish the potion," Lucy spooked them from behind, "and why did you destroy the bad luck shield?"

"What?!" Lincoln got mad, "After all this time, you still think I'm-"

"What're you doing, Lincoln?!" Lola found him, "We need your good luck to protect us!"

Lincoln was done, "You mean, the mascot's good luck!"

"What's it matter?!" Lola hopped onto Lincoln's shoulders, "Now, put that thing back on!"

"You don't understand!" Maya tried to butt in, "He was about to faint!"

"And if he doesn't put it back on, we'll all faint, lady!" Lola protested.

"You're taking it too far, Lola!" Lincoln tried to pry her off, attracting the attention of the rest of the nearby family.

"What's going on-*GASP*" Luna ran over and got Lola off, "You're nuts, dude! The heck did you do that for?!"

"Lincoln, why did you take it off?!" Lynn confronted, "We're doing just fine until your head showed it up!"

"Did you not see me keel over?!"

"What?!" Leni just now heard that word and checked his forehead, "OMGosh! It's a fever!"

"No, he's not!" Luan jumped in, "He's just playing up the _heat_! Seriously, what the heck?!"

"What the heck, what?!" Lincoln snapped, "What about you?! Why'd you go along with it?"

"We know you joked you were bad luck," Lana said, "but we didn't know it was actually true!"

"And now look what you're doing!" Lynn pounced on him, "You're putting it on whether you like it or not!"

Lincoln fell himself down and made Lynn crash into a sand castle. Then, he slipped out of the costume and dashed off.

"AFTER HIM!" Lola commanded, and everyone obeyed.

Meanwhile, at the smoothie hut...

"You're serious?!" Chifuyu exclaimed, "That literally happened?!"

"Literally. And that's not the worst of it," Lori blabbed, "Out of my dad's mouth comes STEP FARTHER AWAY FROM THE HOUSE as if he's a plague!"

"Good God..." Chifuyu cringed, "Could you have done anything to stop it?..."

"Probably, if I decided to go against my own father. Leni could stop it, but you know her. I don't know what Lisa's thinking. But the real kicker is that I still went along with them. Haha, a million excuses, all crap."

"Sheesh...well, at least he's doing better. How'd you get your sister over there?"

"I fibbed. I told Leni that the bottle was Lucy's finished Luck-b-Gone, and she did the rest." Lori finished the last smoothie.

"You know he's gonna grill you for that, right?"

"Oh, I am prepared..." Lori wagged her hand, "3...2...1..."

As soon as she threw her index finger up, Lincoln came over, "LORI!"

"Huh. Convenience," she turned to face the wrath, "What's your problem?"

"You told Leni more bad luck!"

"It got you out of that sauna, didn't it?!"

"Yeah, but you-"

"Lincoln?!" His dad came rushing, "What are you doing here?!"

Lori sensed a demonic aura coming from Chifuyu, "Ok, lady, you don't have to rip a new-"

Chifuyu ignored her and confronted his dad, "What are YOU doing here after what you did to him?!"

"Chi-No! Stop!" Lincoln got in her way, "You can't do this!"

"Do what?" His dad butt in, "What did you say to my son?"

"Dad, stop!" Lori tried to push him back, "You're making it worse!"

"Oh," Chifuyu growled, "I just told him to find some parents who WON'T LOCK HIM OUTTA THE HOUSE JUST FOR SOME DUMB SUPERSTITIOUS NONSENSE!"

"How dare you?!" His dad got in her face, "I'm his father! I can take care of him just fine without your interference!"

"Is that what happened the past two days?! That's what you call taking care of him?!"

Lori and Lincoln just stood there watching the world around them devolve into needless emotional soup as the argument went on.

"LINCOLN!" And Lola was about to make it worse, "We told you to keep it on! Now, look what's happened!"

"Sorry, bro," Lynn caught his hand, "but you're outta line now! Put the dang thing on and get this crud back to normal!"

Lincoln heard the word again. He heard his own sisters force him to put the costume on again. He heard the sister, with whom he shared the strongest connections, threaten him again. She was never going to learn. She could have just said that the squirrel costume removed his bad luck. Instead, she made it go this far.

"No...friggin'...way..."

"You better put that suit back on mister!" Lynn and Lola got in his face and growled, "Otherwise, I'll put it on for you!"

**DEMERIT: POTENTIAL THREAT OF VIOLENCE — GRADE CHANGE TO: F (AUTOMATIC FAIL)**

That got everyone's attention in a bad way. Leni grabbed Lola by the waist, "And NOW we've gone to Pluto we are so gone!"

"Hey! What're you...let go!" Lola tried to break free, but the sudden piercing of her veil through the eyes of many snapped her out of it, "Uhhhh...what just happened?..."

"Uh...sis?..." Lana whispered, "Look around you..."

Lynn took one look around her, and what she saw made her go pale. Eyes. Eyes everywhere. They all saw the superstar and the pageant queen of Royal Woods lose control of themselves and lash out at their own brother. All for something so trivial as a costume.

"Lola?...Lynn?..." Luan was aghast, "I...I don't..."

"Wait! It's not what you think!" Lola scrambled to find an excuse, "I was just asking him to put this thing on, but her wouldn't-"

"In the hot blistering sun?!" Lincoln shouted, "Where I almost keeled over?!"

"You have to be fibbing!" Lynn pointed back, "It's not even that hot! You gotta be up in-"

"Actually..." Lisa scanned the costume, "He overheated. Had he been in there for twenty-three more seconds after Leni arrived, he would've had a heat stroke."

"Uh..." Lynn watched in utter shock as the family looked for something, anything to-

"Who made him wear it in the first place?..." Luna restarted the blame game.

"Lynn had first suggested that idea," Lucy said.

"This is all Lynn's fault, then?!" Lana asked.

"Maybe we shouldn't go that f-" Leni was shut down by more sisters blaming Lynn.

Lincoln couldn't believe it. The cycle was once again about to go haywire. He had already tried to stop it, but thanks to the blame game, he had lost hope. His resilient 11-year-old mind had crumbled. He didn't have a chance to drown in out, so he opted to shut it down,

"STOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOP!"

The family stopped. Chifuyu and Maya stopped. All the people on the beach stopped what they were doing and turned their eyes to Lincoln.

"No more! This has gone far enough!" Lincoln bellowed, "I could've avoided this by denying the bad luck crud! We could've avoided all of this if someone had said something! But, no! Just like every other thing gone wrong, we all cave into the spur of the moment! When are we ever gonna learn to...learn?! When are we gonna say, "Maybe we should actually try to remember what happened that day SO WE DON'T REPEAT THE EXACT SAME STEPS LIKE IT'S A RUNNING GAG!" The apologies, the blame games, the wild accusations and misdeeds...it'll never end!"

"You have overstepped your bounds, Lincoln," his father sternly demanded, "You better take it all back be-"

"Enough..." His mom grabbed her husband's shoulder, "I think we owe him this lash out..."

"He just lashed out at his own kin! He's out of line, and he needs to-"

"I'm out of line?! I'M OUT OF LINE?!" Lincoln lashed out, "You haven't even come anywhere near close to seeing the line! You're supposed to be the one person with more common sense than any of us combined! And not only did you buy into all that bad luck nonsense, but you told me to step farther away from the house! This after you let them lock me out!"

"Ok, we're sorry, man!" Lola blurted out, "What else do you wa-"

"Sorry...sorry..." Lincoln utterly demolished what was left of his limiter, "Sorry sorry sorry sorry SORRY SORRY SORRY SORRY **SORRY**! THAT'S ALL I EVER HEAR IS SORRY! I AM SICK AND TIRED OF THE WORD SORRY! WHEN ARE WE GONNA STOP WITH THE SORRY! YOU'RE NEVER SORRY! IF YOU REALLY WERE SORRY, THEN YOU'D ONLY HAVE TO **ONCE** SAY SORRY!"

"Lincoln, we can work it out," Luna tried to approach him, "We can settle this like we always-"

"THAT RIGHT THERE IS THE PROBLEM! WE SCREW UP! WE APOLOGIZE! WE LEARN OUR LESSON! THEN THE NEXT DAY COMES...**WHAT SCREWUP?! WHAT APOLOGY?! WHAT LESSON?! IT'S THE SAME ONE-TWO PUNCH EVERY SINGLE DAY! WE NEVER! EVER! EVER LEARN!!!!!!!!!!!!!**"

That's when they heard it. Whispers of the people around them, rumors starting to spread. Some speculated as to what drove the boy so far to lash out in public. Some speculated whether or not the children...or the father...locked the boy out. Some speculated whether the bad luck brouhaha had gone too far. Others speculated if the boy was really forced to wear the costume that could've done him in.

One thing was for certain: _everyone _started to question the Loud House's presence.

Luna lost all compassion for him once those rumors left their mouths. She just knelt down beside him and hissed, "That was a real slick move you pulled there, slim...Real slick..." She stormed off to Vanzilla, "Let's bail, people. I'm getting a real bad vibe from this place."

Lynn was too scared to move. She was shaken to the core by the implication that...Lincoln _nearly_ _died_ by her hand.

Lola kept moving, but she couldn't look away from the concerned gazes aimed right at her.

Luan had to scoot Lucy, Lisa and Lana along the harsh gazes.

Leni and Lori tried to reach Lincoln's shoulder...

...but they were stopped by Chifuyu and Maya, "Don't."

"Why?..."

"He's too angry. If you intervene now, he'll be way past forgiveness."

"Then...What do we do?"

"Let him be. We'll watch him."

Chifuyu broke the uneasy atmosphere, "Ok, people! Show's over! Move along!"

"Let's go, LJ," his mother tried to ease Lynn off the beach, "You need to think this over at home, away from the eyes."

"I...was about to..." Lynn muttered over and over until she got to the van.

"You too, honey." She called out, but he didn't move. "Lynn!"

"Uh! Yes, dear?"

"Please try to ease Lincoln inside."

His father tried to resist her order, but knowing that all eyes were on him, he had to go. "Son..."

Lincoln didn't budge. He just kept his gaze down.

His father took a deep breath and said, "Look, son. I'm sorry that I let it get this far. But we can't-"

"That word again," Lincoln gnarled and stormed off behind the rocks. He grabbed a long plastic stick and repeatedly slammed it on whatever hard surface he found, while screaming out every single expletive known to man.

His father just watched as Lincoln slowly let out an entire decade's worth of angst. He wanted to say something, but he didn't know what to say...if he could say anything at all.

Chifuyu approached him from behind, "I think you better leave." And he had no choice but to comply.

**THE TEST HAS CONCLUDED **

Lincoln swatted away at the rocks until dusk. He hammered away until there was barely any stick left, and he still had so much pent up aggression to spare. But he lost all motivation to use the rest of it.

Chifuyu watched him from the hut. Not even the German pilots she once trained had this much power or frustrations. She couldn't find an ideal time to get him back to his family.

Until Maya and an exam proctor appeared, "Miss Orimura. We're ready for him."

"Couldn't pick a worser time, huh..."

"Yeah..." Maya saw Lincoln nearly collapse, only to steady himself on the stick and take a few more swings, "You know...you could've handled that a lot better..."

"Don't remind me," Chifuyu braced herself and walked over to Lincoln, who stopped lashing and beating upon hearing her footsteps, "How's the workout?"

"Not now, Lori!" Lincoln snapped.

"Uh...not Lori..."

No answer.

"Uh...Lincoln? You wanna...maybe-"

"Look, Chifuyu," Lincoln said, "I appreciate you sticking up for me...but why?! Why are you buzzing around me like I'm a golden flower pollen mine?! I didn't ask you to be here, but here you and Maya are! What are you really tailgating me for?..."

"Well... I just thought that you-"

"Thought that I need help?! I could've handled it just fine until you showed up and got in my dad's face!"

Chifuyu winced.

"Wait! I mean..." Lincoln took those words back, "I was just...Agh, I dunno what I was thinking..."

"It's ok, Lincoln. You're just-"

"I know it's not true... I know we learn...I know we make mistakes... but we make too many of them!" Lincoln rambled on, "You think we would have at least remembered something!"

"Lincoln, there has to be a reason why you stayed together for more than a decade..."

Lincoln remained silent. He was filled with so many emotions that he didn't know which one to bring to the forefront. So, he dodged the thought altogether and went back to his original question, "There is a reason, but that's not what you're tailgating me, is it?"

Chifuyu relented, "Yeah...I know it wasn't a good thing for me to butt in like that, and I'm sorry, Linc..."

He flinched when he heard the word and turned around.

And somehow, she already had her hands on his shoulder and his hand, "but you're exactly like my little brother."

"Huh? What are you..."

"Ok, not exactly like, but you remind me so much of him," Chifuyu gently removed the stick and sat the both of them down, "We're not a very big family. In fact, it's just the two of us. Your parents are probably overwhelmed with 11 kids. Mine just flat out disappeared. He's also got a twin sister, but she disappeared too, and I don't know where any of them are. We had to suck it up and take care of each other, last against the world until we were old enough to walk on our own feet. We did have our nasty moments, but we stuck through them together."

Lincoln looked back at the spot he threw everything down. He didn't forget any of the good moments he shared with his family, but the bad moments stuck out to him more than they should.

"At first, I thought you were just good-natured," Chifuyu went on, "but the longer I stuck with you, the more parallels I drew between you and Ichika. To the point where I couldn't sit still while you kept suffering."

Lincoln was shocked, "Oh...I...I don't know what to-"

"You don't have to," Chifuyu hugged him, "You're more of a go-getter type anyway."

Lincoln buried his face in her belly and had a good, long weep. After all that back and forth, he still couldn't stop caring about his family. Even when he promised himself that he wouldn't forgive them, or forget their worst mistakes, he still cared for them.

When he finished, Chifuyu dried him with a towel, "Feel better?" He nodded. "But, you know...you're right. There's a real reason I've been following you this whole time."

"What is it?..."

"Why don't we take a walk? It's gonna be a long explanation."

"I guess..." Lincoln agreed.

He heard the real reason she was watching his every move during a fifteen minute conversation. No man should have been able to move that machine, and yet somehow he did. And everyone took notice, so they've been observing him for any clues as to how he has the power to move an IS. That data was sent to the IS Academy, a training ground for young pilots like him, of which Chifuyu herself, having graduated at the top of her class, was an instructor. She and her staff have deemed him a special case due to the circumstances of having to tend to ten sisters on the daily, a major factor that played into his special ability.

"I...wow..." Lincoln was somehow able to comprehend every single word she said, "So that thing I talked with..."

"Yep. It's actually an Infinite Stratos. I don't know what they were smoking when they gave it that name, but that's what it's called."

"And I just became part of a larger collective?"

"Hahahah," Chifuyu laughed, "What, you think we're a cult or something?"

"Ah, no, I just-"

"I know, I kid. After a day like today, why in God's name did you have to fill your brain with this insanity, right?"

"Exactly..." Lincoln muttered, "I still don't get it... why am I the special one here?"

"Because you're a guy," Chifuyu scratches her cheek, "Normally, only girls can move ISs."

"Oh...so...you want me to show them how I moved it?" Lincoln was hesitant.

"Yeah. We bought over that same IS you spoke with."

"Well...ok, it's not like I have much to give," Lincoln looked around and saw another demonstration area with two of those IS things: a much more colorful one, and the other one. The exact same one he spoke with, "That's where it is..."

"Indeed..." Chifuyu walked faster and signaled to all the staff, "Hey, clear the area! Give him some space!"

While everyone scrambled to vacate the area, Lincoln slowly walked over to the giant IS. It was still kneeling after so many hands had been put on it, as if it had already chosen its master.

"No way..." Lincoln gasped, "You were waiting for me?..."

The machine hummed.

"We have activity in the IS area!" A staff member alerted.

"Did you do anything?!"

"Uh...no! It's all his doing!"

"Are you ready, Lincoln?" Chifuyu knelt beside him.

"I think so..." Lincoln stared at the big machine.

"Just pretend you're all alone with it. Take all the time you need." Chifuyu said before backing away from him.

Lincoln didn't know how to start. He just placed his hand on it. It was still just as cold as the first time he touched it.

"Rough day again?" He asked.

The IS turned slightly warm.

"Me too..." he continued, "I...I did what we planned and..." the tears started flowing out again, "I was right...I wished I was wrong, but I was right...my family. They failed! They failed miserably! They...first, they sold my furniture, then they said that I was good luck...but not _really _good luck, just squirrely good luck...then...they said I had to put on the costume, otherwise I can't go with them anymore! Why did I even go along with it?...Why did I put that stupid piece of nut crap on me...in the heat blazing sun, at that..."

The IS hummed again.

"No, I don't hate them... I can't find a reason to hate them, but...sometimes I wish I could just get away from it all and not have to deal with them anymore... I don't know what to do anymore."

At that moment, the IS opened its torso.

"Uh...really? Are you sure?" Lincoln didn't know what was happening, but something inside told him to trust the IS, "Ok...I trust you..." he climbed in and fitted his arms and legs into the proper slots.

"Should he be doing that?" A staff member asked.

"Just start the fitting process already," Chifuyu growled.

Once Lincoln was fully situated in the IS, the wings moved up, and the body armor fitted itself around his waist and shoulders. He became one with the IS, able to move the robot's hands and feet as if they were his own, "Uh...this feels weird...what do I do now?..."

"Fly!" Chifuyu shouted.

"Huh?"

"Fly it for a spin! But get that thing back here in an hour!"

"O...ok..." Lincoln knew what that meant, but he steadied his heart quickly to prepare himself, "Ok...take me outta this-PLAAAAAAAAAAAAACE!"

He screamed. The IS suddenly rocketed upward. He tried control it, but it wouldn't stop accelerating. He had to steel himself and get rid of his fears fast. He closed his eyes and concentrated on the good moments he had throughout his life.

And that stopped it. He opened his eyes. He was suspended in midair, able to view far beyond his hometown. He could see the lakes, the mountains, and the cities beyond. "Holy mackerel..." he said awestruck, "How did I not know about this earlier?..." his fear and insecurities quickly subsided. He suddenly felt like a superhero, "Ok, little buddy. Let's have a go around town!"

On command, the IS took off properly. He zipped past the demo area and soared into the skyline. He spread his arms out like an airplane, soaking the wind in his hair and skin. He twirled all across the city lights, danced his way over the fast-fleeting cars, and zoomed across tall buildings and traffic tunnels, waving to everyone he saw. He bobbed and weaved past the branches of the forest. He flew up high gazed upon the stars. He even raced against the waves, diving up and down the water surface like a dolphin, and letting his hand ripple its way across the lakes as he zipped along. It was an adrenaline rush he had never felt before, and he enjoyed every single moment of it.

He enjoyed himself so much that he forgot where the landing area was and touched down at the park.

"THAT... WAS...AMAZEBAAAALLS!" Lincoln screamed.

"I know!" Chifuyu joined his excitement, "You dang forgot about us, so we had to chase you down!"

"I WAS UP THERE JUST PSHWEW SHOWAANG AND THE WHOLE WORLD ZIPPED BY ME LIKE A BLUR I GOTTA ASK EVERYONE WHO WAS JUST ~~~"

Chifuyu and Maya smiled. They let him ramble on for a minute. Then, they decided that they had enough delaying.

"~~~AND I WAS IN SPACE FOR A MINUTE! SPACE! I ALWAYS WANTED TO BE AN ASTRONAUT BUT THIS JUST A WHOLE-"

**"LINCOLN!"**

"123-Huh?"

"Make it come back to you!" Chifuyu called.

"Come back to me?" Lincoln blurted out, and suddenly the IS enveloped itself I'm a bright light, and gathered together around his waist. When the light dissipated, all that was left was a golden belt with a red oval at the center. "Holy...What just happened to it?"

"Uh, are you feeling hungry?" Maya asked.

"Now that you mention it..." Lincoln rubbed his belly.

Chifuyu and Maya took him to Burpin' Burger, where they dumped a big bombshell on him.

"I HAVE TO GO WHERE?!" Lincoln screamed.

"You don't have to if you don't want to," Chifuyu calmed him down, "Just...there's only one place where we train future IS pilots, and it just so happens to be Japan."

"Why all the way there?..."

"Because one of my bonkers friends...the one who created the IS...was born in Japan. So, the whole goddamn world blames us, like thisisyourmessyoucleanitup type of crap."

"But, Japan has compulsory attendance laws," Maya reasoned, "America doesn't."

"So...it's completely my choice..."

"Yeah," Chifuyu said, "We don't wanna take you away from your family and friends, seeing how you're very attached to them. And...other reasons..."

"What do you mean?"

Maya gripped her drink, "How do I say this...there's no IS Academy equivalent of middle school. It's all eight semesters of high school crammed into three years."

"High...school...and so far, it's all girls and one guy?!..."

"My brother will be attending this year, that much is obvious..." Chifuyu muttered, "but he doesn't have a choice. You do."

"Dangit...What am I gonna tell my friends..."

After dinner, the exam proctors still watched Lincoln as he paced around the city. He has a lot riding on his decision. He thought a stroll around every hotspot would lift some of his worries off, but all it did was remind him of the potential good times he would miss out on if he left. The precious moments with Clyde, Ronnie Anne...even Bobby. What would he say to them, now that he just found out that he has a chance to go where very few are able to go? And for that matter, what would he tell his family? No doubt they would react harshly to his sudden departure. They'll do everything they can to keep him here, and part of him doesn't want to go. If he stays, however, what would happen? The scene at the beach should have gotten to them. But would it stick?

Lincoln ran out the huge list of items for stay and go.

What would he gain if he went? Good: a personal mecha supersuit, a chance to travel abroad, new friends, an educational experience unlike any other, and a ton of memories with a ton of people. Bad: a harsh academic regime given that he was entering a Japanese high school, possibility of being bullied, little contact from family and friends.

What would he gain if he stayed? Good: family, friends, his own lifestyle, and everything back to normal. Bad: no suit, no more IS whatever...

...and no relief of the cycle.

No matter what he thought or wanted to think, he always kept coming back to the cycle. Someone in their family will screw up badly, then apologize and go out of their way to show that they've learned their lesson, then the very next day comes, and someone else will kickstart the cycle again, via mishap or blame game. Things will always spiral out of control before they get it through their heads.

_It's never gonna end._

_As long as I stay, it's never gonna end._

Then, he thought of the advice that Lori gave him yesterday, the one they kept on standby...

_("I was saving this for Bobby in case he cheated on me... I didn't think you would need it too. But...you know how when you made that embarrassing video of us and we gave you a brutally cold shoulder? Maybe... you should do that to us. It's like, don't forget, don't forgive, and don't cut us off, you know? Keep us guessing.")_

_("Really? You won't hold it against me?")_

_("Not this time, and I'll understand why. But don't cut us off; being nice to them and keeping good intentions without a clear hint about forgiveness is the big part in stopping this cycle. You know how a broken up couple is just...friends with restrictions? Well, Lisa said the same strategy can be used on family members...just friends with restrictions.")_

Those thoughts kept buzzing around like a fly in a soda can. He knew what they meant, and what would happen if he took that route. But was he ready to bear the responsibility? Could he advance himself three years later, within the span of a few weeks?

_You're right, Lori._

_I can stop the cycle._

_I have to._

Lincoln steeled his soul and began making the mental preparations.

All the IS staff had gone back to their hotel. Chifuyu had finished calling home when she got a knock on her door. She went out and opened, "Lincoln? How'd you find me?"

"One of the ladies told me where you are," he said.

That could only mean one thing, "So you're going?"

He nodded.

"Come on," she motioned him in, "I'll grab some tea."

Lincoln waited for what seemed like forever. She came out and got him a drink, then got right down to business, "So, what influenced your decision?"

Lincoln recalled every thought he had before today, and everything that happened. "Well, I'll admit that the test flight was a very convincing factor, but it's small potatoes compared to the rest of the reasons."

"You mean, what happened today?"

"Yeah. Everyone just seems focused on themselves. Yes, they've done selfless things, too, but...For a long time, I thought it was all just to further their own agenda. But...now I think everyone is too reliant on me. They want me to get luck, they want me to take the first swing..."

"I'm sure they've pulled their share of the weight, though," Chifuyu said, "And I'm sure they've had their fair share of mistakes, too."

"What family makes mistakes that get them banned from the place they visit the same day? Most recently, the beach," he said with a smirk.

"Hahaha, true."

"But that's probably the big one. I've lost all anger for them locking me out. I burnt out all my anger earlier for that costume thing. But the mistakes are too many, too frequent. No matter what I thought, no matter what I wanted to think... I always find myself trapped in a cycle. Someone makes a mistake, we overreact-when it's a very big mistake we very big overreact, then that someone goes way outta their way to make things right, then apologize, and we learn our lesson. The next day comes, it's like yesterday's mistake never happened."

"Well, if the cycle is the problem, I'd think you could turn to Clyde, or your grandfather."

"I don't want Pop-Pop to break his back over my static. And I did turn to Clyde once...my sisters followed me and broke his dads."

"Well, that means you can go anywhere...so, why the IS Academy?"

"Other than the metal supersuit...it's a great place to learn and have actual fun while learning. Plus, it's in Japan. Plenty of breathing room between me and my sisters. And if I show them what I'm doing there, maybe they'll start detaching themselves from me. I mean, Lori's off to college next year...we can't always rely on her."

"You came up with all that in the span of seventy minutes?"

"Well, against ten sisters, your mind tends to adapt and change. Weird change."

Chifuyu couldn't tell if he was just looking for excuses, or if he really did mature beyond his age. But she figured that it was a question for tomorrow, so she brushed it off aside, "Alright...but you do know that this is a high school we're talking about, right? Almost all girls, way harder subject material, literally everyone older than you?"

"It's one of those things. I know what I'm getting myself into."

"And you know we do have entrance exams, right?"

"One of the ladies said the Academy has two."

Chifuyu closed her eyes, took in a big gulp of air, and declared his recognition, "Understood...Lincoln Loud, I have received your intent to enroll. There will be a written exam and a practical waiting for you tomorrow. You must pass both in order for you to officially become a student of the IS Academy."

"Why tomorrow?"

"Foreign students typically take the exams two week prior, but we don't have that luxury anymore. You know, two male pilots and all... the governments of the world will be on you like ugly on an ape."

"Pfthahaha! And I'll swat them away like King Kong and the helicopters."

"Hahaha-ahem...For the 90 minute written exam," she continued, "You're only allowed scratch paper and a writing utensil, absolutely no electronic devices, including calculators. Once you pass the written exam, for the practical you will be asked to participate in a mock battle with Maya Yamada as your opponent. The requirement for passing is not victory, but merely demonstrating your combat capabilities. Should you fail, you will not be admitted and we will delete your records. Should you pass, you and your family will be notified on the spot, and you'll have one day to prepare for the move. Do you understand?"

Lincoln nodded.

"Good," Chifuyu took the cups to the sink, "Get some rest, Candidate Loud. The exam starts tomorrow morning."

"Really? Here?"

"Yeah, there's a free bed in that room over there."

"Ok...thanks, Chifuyu." Lincoln walked in and settled himself, "Wait...how do you know about Clyde?"

"Heheh, funny story," Chifuyu blushed, "While the Louds were beaching away, Clyde wandered into the demonstration area and tried to move it. He got it to respond lickety-split!"

"Really?"

"Yep. We asked him to join, but he said no. He's an only child, so I'm guessing his dads were too important to him."

"Oh..." Lincoln carries that thought with him to bed.

Chifuyu smiled. With all the work she had, she barely gets any personal moments, so this was one for the memory banks. But as much as she felt for him, she couldn't help but worry about his family's reaction to the news. As soon as she finished cleaning, she got her phone ready for a message.

Back at the Loud House, Lori and Leni were contemplating their next move. Lisa and Lily were up to their usual antics, albeit with Lisa wondering if the So-called bad luck was really any of the siblings' doing. Lola was cursing at the whole world, and Lana couldn't keep her anger down. Lynn was still in a state of shock, and Lucy allowed herself to be a body pillow. Luan and Luna were in the living room, listening to the parents arguing about the validity of the family's superstitions.

"Lori?" Leni asked while combining her hair, "Has the house ever gone silent? Like...ever?"

"Nope...it never goes silent..." Lori kept her chin on her knees. She hated the fact that she stayed silent throughout this whole issue. The moment where he took her gold clubs into the bathroom...and then three seconds later, they came out broken...she felt like that was the moment she failed. She should've called him out right then and there.

"There's no noise..." Leni walked to her bed, "I'm scared..."

"Don't be," Lori said, "Those women are watching him. He'll come back, and it'll be noisy again."

"I hope so..."

Lori nodded, but she knew better. They ganged up on him before, but this...this was just uncalled for, plain and simple.

Lori was about to turn in when she suddenly got a message.

ChiOri: "I told him everything. The IS, the school, the location...the conditions and hassles, and the age difference...he _still_ wants to go."

Literally_Lori: "I figured. I'll let everyone know."

ChiOri: "Thanks. And...I'm sorry."

Lori threw her phone away and checked the rest of the hallway. It was still clean, no footsteps or trampled belongings anywhere. She decided to check in on Lynn to see if she recovered from her shock. She saw her hugging Lucy, "Lynn? Are you ok?"

"I'm afraid not," Lucy answered, "She's been like this ever since we got home."

Lori sat beside them, "Lynn? Talk to me, Lynn...you're starting to worry us..."

Lynn dug her face deeper in Lucy's hair, "Am I a horrible sister?"

"Well..." Lori stuttered, "You're not...We just..."

"I almost killed Lincoln... I almost did him in...our only brother..."

"But..." Lori gave in and hugged them, "Ok, yeah, we're pretty bad..."

"I just...lost it...I thought..."

"Lori?" Lucy asked, "Is Lincoln coming back?"

"Actually..." Lori said, "That's why I came. We're gonna have a sibling meeting in a little bit."

"No...please, no..." Lynn muttered, "I can't..."

"It's ok," Lori said, "I'll make sure they don't let it get to their heads. Just...please come to my room. I think you need to hear this."

"Ok..." Lynn didn't look up.

"I'll walk her," Lucy hoisted Lynn on her shoulders, "You can call the others."

She walked downstairs and saw Luan and Luna trying to drown out the parental noise with louder tv noise. She tapped on their shoulders, and when they were about to snap at her, she gave them the death glare she learned from Chifuyu, and they fled to Lori's room. She used the same tactic on the remaining sisters until they were all assembled.

"Now, then," Lori banged her shoe gavel, "I think we all know what you want to hear: why is Lincoln not with us."

"More like, why is Lynn with us?" Lola snapped, "None of this would be happening if it weren't-"

"WHAT DID I SAY..." Lori growled.

"Eep..." Lola quickly scooted behind Lana.

"Now, I'm going to explain what became of the bad luck filler, around the house and around town...and why _every single person who went to the beach _bears the blame," Lori declared, "and if you feel the need to say something, I want you to _**calmly**..._tell me what is needing to tell me. Understand?"

They all nodded.

"And after we get through this, we can discuss how we're gonna move past it. And if anyone here even attempts to think about trying to throw around another blame for Idontcareaboutthereason, that person will spend the next week in the basement. Am I clear?"


	3. INTRO: Wish Me Luck (Part 3)

_This is it..._

_This is game over..._

_I tried...Lori tried...but we failed. Everyone failed._

_This has to stop...this lightning cycle has to stop..._

That was the dominant thought of Lincoln's dreams. He couldn't dream of anything else. He always wanted to say his two cents to his sisters, and he did. Only, it was a lot more than two cents.

_Why did I say that?..._

_Why did I go along with it again?..._

_Why do I keep feeding the insanity?..._

And once again, it was too much. He gave into the heat of the moment. Chifuyu arguing with his dad, Lynn and Lola shoving the costume in his face again, seeing Leni pry Lola off...and the blaming. That goddamn blaming. All caused him to lash out.

_Why does it always fall on me?..._

_I need to go..._

"...ud...did...Loud..."

_I have to stop the cycle._

_I can't let anyone else get caught in my mess._

"Candidate Loud."

"AAAAA! Wuzzat?! Wut appen?! He to go...huh?..." Lincoln woke up to find Maya and another woman.

"Oh...did we startle you?"

"Uh...sort of."

"Apologies, Lincoln. But I'm afraid we don't have any more time to lose," the tall woman introduced herself to him, "My name is Tomoya Tachibana, and I'll be your proctor for the written portion of the exam."

"Exam..." Lincoln rubbed his head, "Ugh...what time is it now..."

"About 8:30am."

"Huh. I thought I would sleeeeeoooooboi..." Lincoln looked down and saw a breakfast tray, with pancakes, sausage, bacon, orange juice, a pencil, a spiral, and a 10-page test packet, "Dangit."

Back home, Lori woke up somber. She wandered over to the shower and enveloped herself in the warmth of the water. She knew Lincoln would be home for a brief stint, all the sisters did. But no one knew how he would react to them, especially after a day like yesterday. She knew he wanted the cycle to end, but even with the questionable advice she gave him, it was impossible to stop it. She knew that better than anyone here. She had to sort out what to say to the parents when the big news would drop on them.

But she only had two minutes before the water went from comfortably warm to extremely scalding, **"AAAAA!"**

"Oh, sorry! I didn't-"

"WE'VE BEEN THR-Oh my..."

"Sorry..." Luan backed away, "didn't mean to _flush_ you out, heheh..."

Lori actually chuckled at that, but her smile was gone when she saw the clock read 10:10am, "Wait. Where's Luna?"

"Downstairs. With everyone else. And some choice guests."

Lori knew what that meant for now and later, "Dangit."

Some time later, Lincoln was in a car being driven back home, "Ohhhhhhh, my head..."

"Come on!" Maya nudged, "You finished with fifteen minutes to spare!"

"But what the heck did I just finish..."

"That was arguably the hardest high school test that ever existed," Tomoya said, "And you passed!"

"Hooray..." Lincoln groaned.

"Lincoln, if I may," Maya wondered, "What's your family like, usually?"

"Well...we're very tightly knit. We bond and fight over the little things, but we never drifted apart."

"Oh..."

"But this is really stretching it, though. Bad luck or not, our antics have gone too far this time."

Maya kept silent for the remainder of the trip, until they arrived at home. She, Tomoya and Lincoln opened the door and were paralyzed by five pairs of leery adult eyes.

"Uh-ohhh..." they whispered.

His parents saw him and greeted him.

"Son..." Lynn Sr. said, "Are you feeling ok?"

"Yeah...I think so..."

"Oh, sweetie..." Rita came and hugged him, "I can't apologize enough for what we did to you..."

"Mom...I'm over it, really..."

"But we're not," Lynn Sr. knelt down, "Because of us, they're gonna take you and Lynn away."

"Huh?!" Maya yelped, "Miss Orimura?! Is that true?!"

"Ask miss rising star over there," Chifuyu pointed her thumb to the lawyer's junior paralegal, "She pulled a blackmail move."

"I'm only stating the truth, am I?" The paralegal demanded.

"So are more than 200 countries," the lawyer griped, "But you don't see them shaking their fists at their own citizens, do you?"

"Well, that's-"

"Lincoln, why don't you join us?" Chifuyu asked, "If only to keep this potty mouth in check."

"Where's everyone else?" Lincoln asked.

"Upstairs in Lori's room," His dad said.

"Come on, Tomo..." Maya started her way up, "We gotta make sure they aren't spooked."

After that, the lawyer walked everyone through the stack of folders. It detailed everything that Chifuyu, Maya, and the team saw, as well as Lori's personal testimony (aka her conversations with Chifuyu at the beach), recorded video evidence, and several witnesses to the costume incidents. It all amounted to the parents facing a possibility jail time and a certainty of losing custody of the children, and Lynn facing a possibility of juvenile detention, and if that happens, a permanent halt to her Olympic dreams.

And Lincoln understood every single word, "I...we...we don't need to go this far, do we?..."

"We wouldn't have to..." the lawyer then glared at the parents, "...if they recognized that they cannot sway your choice."

"He is not going, period," his father demanded, "We are not giving into your schemes."

"He's been asked multiple time whether or not he wants to go, and he still chose to go," the paralegal said, "We have a written and verbal letter of intent."

"He's only 11!" Rita snapped, "He'll never survive in high school at this age!"

"He scored 84/100 on a Japanese high school entrance exam," Chifuyu said, "It's hard not to see how he isn't ready."

"He can't go!"

"Mom...Dad..." Lincoln interrupted, "I've already made up my mind. I'm going."

"That's ridiculous!" His mother nagged him, "You're staying here, and that's final!"

"No, it isn't..." the lawyer opened a book up, "Read what it says."

The parents angrily grabbed the book off, and slowly their stern expressions turned into utter horror.

_United States Infinite Stratos Articles, Section 3, subsection B: Only the pilot-in-question may have sole decision over whether or not to attend the IS Academy. The PIQ may receive additional advice from other persons, but no one else may make the decision. _

"Mr. and Mrs. Loud, you have to understand," the lawyer said, "Just the past three days, even with his outburst, your son has shown more maturity than the two of you combined."

"Not to mention a rather high level of physical strength and endurance on par with Lynn Jr.," Chifuyu added.

"But...but..." Lynn Sr. became discombobulated, "Lincoln? You're ok with all this?"

"Believe me, I've spent all night thinking about it," Lincoln said, "Everything I would keep, lose, the works. But..."

"But, What? What is it?"

"It's the stupid cycle. I always keep going back to it. And this bad luck nonsense really hammered it home for me. Every time someone makes a mistake, we go bonkers. We go out of our way to make things right, and then we either apologize, or blame someone, or something else. We've been trapped in the same cycle for too long."

"I...You're right," Lynn Sr. agreed, "We can work this out. I can straighten out the-"

"No, don't! You can't...you'll just shift the blame again. You'll cycle through again. Someone has to go. Here's a chance for me to go peacefully."

"No, sweetie..." Rita teared up, "You can't."

"I know," Lincoln hugged them both, "but that's my choice."

"Lincoln," Chifuyu called, "I think you better talk with your sisters."

"Right," Lincoln hopped over the couch and made his up to Lori's room. At the top of the stairs, he ran into Maya and Tomoya, "Hey, Maya?"

"Yes?"

"They're not gonna...take this to court, are they?..."

"They keep saying that conditionally. They said that they'll burn everything in that case...if you make your decision without any direct influence from anyone."

"Figured," Lincoln grumbled, "Clyde better not be a lawyer..."

_No more anger._

_No more hate._

_I have to stop the cycle now._

He marched into Lori's room, where all his sisters sat in a circle.

"Inkin?..." all of them.

"Uh..." Lincoln scratched his head, "Were you having a sibling meeting?..."

"No," Lana said, "Mom and Dad shuttled is over here when we heard you were coming back."

"Oh..." Lincoln had a seat beside Lori, "So, what did you hear?"

"They thought you were going away forever," Lori explained, "But Maya said you'd only be gone for five months at a time."

"Is anyone else leaving?"

"Li...I...L...L..." Lynn couldn't sound it out.

"Not that I'm aware of," Lisa answered. After a long minute of silence, "Lincoln...I..."

"Yeah?..." Lincoln braced himself for the apology onslaught.

"I guess there's no sugar coating it..." Lisa looked him in the eyes, "There's no good excuse for us to escalate the situation to this degree."

"Oh...you mean..." Lincoln muttered, "Even after I tricked you into thinking I really was bad luck?...or lost my temper and lashed out at you?..."

"We forgave it pretty quickly afterward, given everything that's happened after," Lori said.

"Yeah," Leni said, "And what we did to make..._ it..._worse was completely uncalled for."

"I see..." Lincoln realized he made a mistake during the interview with Chifuyu, "I guess I should have come home, huh?"

"Well, if you wanted to hear "sorry" on constant repeat," Luan quipped, "We know how much you hate hearing that word."

"And we've been saying and hearing it so much, that it's become a puff of air now," Luna said.

"Lori?" Lincoln turned to his oldest sibling, "You blabbed?"

"Well, we had a sibling meeting last night," Lori tried to explain, "We took it pretty-"

"WAAAAAAA!" Lynn suddenly jumped out and latched herself onto Lincoln, no longer able to contain her tears, "I'm sorry, Lincoln! I'm so sorry! I never should have threatened you to come to that game! I never should have called you bad luck! I never should have made you wear that stupid suit! We never should have kicked you out of the house! We never should have sold your stuff!"

"Lynn..." Lincoln was on the verge of losing control, "It's ok...you don't have to-"

Lynn glared at him, "No, it's not! It's not ok! How can it be ok?! I almost killed you! All because of my goddamn bad luck crap cakes! How am I supposed to live with the fact that I suffocated you?!"

"Lynn...stop...please..."

"No!...I can't stop!...I won't stop!...Not until I make it right by y-"

Lincoln pulled her into his chest and stopped her rambling, "You have to stop...else...I'm gonna cry too..."

"Oh my god...don't...please don't..."

Too late. They let everything out on their shoulders.

"Hey, clear the area," Lori whispered, "Give them some space..." The sisters backed away and gave the two all the time they needed to mourn.

Little did they know that they were being watched, via giant security monitor viewed by Chifuyu, Maya, the parents, proctors, and the legal team.

"We don't have to drag Lynn into this, do we?" Chifuyu asked.

"Well..." the paralegal stuttered, "I mean, it's...what about the-"

"_No we do not_," the lawyer said, "She's learned her lesson, so no matter what, we bonfire her case before the practical."

"What about the parents?" Chifuyu called to them.

"Wh...What about us, what?..." the father acted apprehensive.

"I've grilled him over his choice of attending, over the cycle and why he couldn't just go somewhere else. I even warned him that he would be held to the exact same standards as the other teenagers, and yet he still chose to stay the course. Why is that?"

"Well...it... time he was-"

"You can talk to him all you want," Chifuyu kept her eyes on the monitor, "but in the end, it's his choice, and his choice alone. You will acknowledge that, right?"

They all saw Lincoln and Lynn back away when Luna asked to join, "Room for one more?"

"You know?" They said simultaneously.

"Yeah. We got the news this morning," Luna hugged them, "You may be a couple of hard heads, but you make a pretty sweet duo."

"Sucks we had to part like this..." Lana dragged Lola to his lap, "You think we had enough for one weekend, but..." Lana looked at her twin, who couldn't resist contacting eyes with him even though she tried not to, "...typical mean girl crud."

Lola jolted, "And what's that supposed to mean?..."

Lily clapped, "PooPAABAAAAAA!"

"Grr..." Lola's true feelings had been exposed, "Stupid emotion blabbity frankfurt-"

Lincoln couldn't help but laugh at that.

A few minutes later, the parents walked in to see the siblings huddled for emotional warmth.

"Hey, kids," Lynn Sr. said, "Are you feeling ok?"

"We're actually pretty cool!" Luna exclaimed, "Lincoln told us what his IS thing can do."

"And we just had a vote," Leni said, "We have accepted his choice to attend IS Academy. With some conditions."

"Huh?! Forget the conditions!" Rita shouted, "How can you be ok with him leaving?! Do you even know what he's about to subject himself to?!"

"We are all aware of the risks of the recent elementary school graduate deliberately skipping three grades," Lisa groaned and walked to her parental units, "That's one of the stipulations we imposed on him. Video chat at least once a week, and emails at least twice a week."

"But...but you're ok with this?" The dad asked.

"Yeah," Lynn sighed, "After everything that's happened between us...and the fact that we could be related to a _superhero_!... I don't think a few months would hurt."

"Lynn?..." Lynn Sr. gasped, "But...you're about to-"

"We'll figure something out," Lincoln said, "We won't let them separate us."

"Have you always been such a sap?!" Lori noogie'd him.

"Whose fault is that, eh?" Lincoln hopped over her, only to get caught in Lana's grip.

"Hey, show us that IS thingy you got!"

That got to them. All this time, the parents had been slaving away with multiple jobs or longer shifts that they missed the key moments in their siblings' lives where they were forced to learn life lessons. Most of all Lincoln, who constantly took it upon himself to be the odd man out.

"Ok..." Rita finally relented, "If that's really what you want..."

"Honey?" The father begged, "Let's think about what this means for us..."

"And he hasn't? Think about it. While we've been away trying to provide for our kids, our kids have been learning to fend for themselves and each other."

He thought about that statement and turned again to the kids. Only, they really did look kid-like, because Lincoln deployed his arms and pretended to be King Kong while everyone else was pelting him with pillows and bed sheets. Add to that how Lynn jumped on him and caused an uproarious round of laughter...

"*SIGH...* Fine..." Lynn Sr. gave in, "I don't like it, but fine..." He stood up and cleared his throat. That stopped all activity. "Lincoln, I understand why you want to go. I really do. But I don't wanna separate us any more than we already have."

"I know."

"So...if there's anything I can do to make you stay..."

"What your father is trying to say is," Rita interrupted him, "given what we're up against, we want you to be there for everyone when the time comes. We don't want you to leave just yet."

"Yeah..." Lincoln thought, "You know I can say something to them, right? I'm the pilot-in-question, so I can demand something from them. I mean, we still have time-"

"Actually," Rita clasped both Lynn and Lincoln's hands together, "We convinced that lawyer to drop her case altogether."

"Really?!"

"So...let us handle our case. We just need to know you'll be there for us."

"Yeah...like you'll be there for me at the practical?"

"That's a given," Rita patted his head.

Just then, they heard a knock on the door.

"Hello?" Tomoya peeked in, "Is this a bad time?"

"Oh, no it's not," Lincoln piped, "We were just wrapping everything up."

"That's a relief..."

"Why? What's up?"

"The park has been converted into a temporary arena."

"Oh, snap..."

"Yep. We're ready for you."

The family forgone their predicament to drive Lincoln to the park. When the arrived, there was little to no breathing room due to the giant containment field, and the giant crowd.

"Did the entire city come down here?!" Luan said.

"It appears that more than 10,000 people have come to witness the live event," Lisa reasoned, "with many more live-streaming."

"Man, I thought they were here to lose weight, not gain _wait_. Hahaha! Get it?"

"*SIGH...*"

The family stepped out and escorted Lincoln to the holding area, where they were greeted by Clyde, Ronnie Anne, and Bobby.

"Boo-boo Bear!" Lori ran out and hugged him.

"Missed you, babe," Bobby said, "So, what's everybody doing here?"

"Funny story...we're actually here to support Lincoln."

"No way! After all that, he still wants to go?!"

Clyde bombrushed his best friend, "Lincoln's alive! Dude, I was worried about you!"

"Easy, buddy!" Lincoln said, "I'm all good now."

"Really?" Ronnie asked, "Even after everything that they did to you?"

"Well, there's juvie and jail, but we'll get it sorted out."

"Dude," Ronnie bluntly said, "Don't take it personally...but I don't think you should ever-"

"Please, don't," Lincoln knew better than to lie to her, but he had to get her to understand, "We're already gonna be apart as is."

"You know, you could come live with one of us for a while," Clyde thought, "until this whole cycle thing blows over?"

"Thanks, But no. The cycle will just come after you."

"Candidate Loud?" The proctor for the second exam called.

"Besides, I'll explain everything once I've finished becoming a human pretzel." Lincoln hugged them both and made his way to the portable locker room, where his proctor was waiting.

"Pleasure to make your acquaintance," the proctor said.

"Ditto," he shook her hand.

"My name is Akane Hotara, and I'll be your proctor and referee for the second portion of the exam."

"Understood."

"Before we begin preparations, I have a few questions to ask you," Akane closed the door, "Has your choice to attend changed?"

"No."

"Have any of your reasons changed?"

"No, though some reasons became a lot more ridiculous."

"Last question: did anyone else try to directly sway your decision?"

Lincoln looked back at his family and friends, "No. This is my choice."

"I see," Akane presses a button and connected to the lawyer, "We have triple confirmation."

"Huh?" Lincoln recognized that folder, "What's she-"

"Just to fully clarify, Mr. Loud, because my junior refuses to do so," the lawyer said, "We didn't need a clear-cut yes from you. We just need to know that you made your decision without parental interference."

"Really? Huh, never thought about that."

"Not many do," the lawyer lit up a flame, "And now that we know that you remained steadfast in your decision..." the lawyer burned every single paper in her suitcase, "...we don't need to pursue any charges. Your family can rest easy."

"But you can't," Akane said to him, "Since you remain firm to attend, I'll need to fill you in on the procedure." She then cut communication and pulled up several screens on the monitor beside communicating screen, "This practical is designed to simulate a real-world situation in which you may be called to. This is the information screen, usually reserved for targets and opponents. It has everything about their IS and their history."

"That's...a lot of hoopla..."

"There's two phases to this practical, preparation phase and battle phase. Normally for the first phase, we give candidates just 10 minutes to discern a strategy, but seeing how you're 11, you'll have 30 minutes to prepare."

"Good..." he sighed.

"During the preparation phase, you be contacted by Miss Orimura at the halfway mark. I'll contact you when your 30 minutes are up, then you will proceed to the arena to begin the battle phase. There's no time limit in the battle, but I can assure you that your opponent won't take her time at all."

"*GULP*"

"Your objective for the practical is not complete victory, just to demonstrate your fighting capabilities."

"Ok...I'm not gonna get hurt, am I?"

"No, of course not. All ISs come with an Absolute Barrier. But that barrier does have an energy tank. When it reaches critical condition, the battle is stopped and the victor is decided then and there. Just think of your shield energy like a health bar."

"Ok."

"Remember, we just need to know you can think on your toes. You don't need to beat her, although that will get you automatic admission. We will still judge your fighting prowess, and the decision will be decided there."

"Right. I understand."

"Ok," Akane turned to leave, "Do you have any questions before we leave you be?"

"No. I got the gist of it."

Akane nodded, "Alright, then. Candidate Loud, your preparation phase begins now."

Lincoln was left alone in that locker room by himself. He had a whirlwind of emotions inside him, but he pushed it all aside to focus on the task at hand.

Back in the stands, the Loud siblings assured the parents that once they saw Lincoln fight, they'll be convinced that he's ready to go. That didn't ease any of their consciousnesses, however, as Lynn was seated right next to Ronnie Anne.

"So..." Ronnie muttered, "Heard about your your stint with the squirrel..."

"I know..." Lynn groaned.

"I gotta ask...what the hell was all that about?..."

"What?"

Ronnie Anne turned to face her, "The costume. The bad luck. The outside." Angry growl. "The bat." Normal voice. "Why'd you do all that?"

Lynn covered her face, "I don't have a good reason...just...he never comes to any of my games. Then the one time he shows up-"

"DON'T. YOU. DARE," Ronnie Anne squeezed the seat.

Lori heard enough and patted their shoulders, "Look, Lynn. The only reason he couldn't come before is he had to go to all our other outings."

"But, How'd we find time to give to everyone else?"

"Simple," Lisa interrupted, "On days where multiple events happen in one day, based on the popularity, predictability, content, and overall attendance, I divided the family into groups proportionate to each separate event. Luan goes to high-stakes venues that rarely exceed 100 people, and I present scientific lectures to audiences in lecture halls, so we didn't need that much support because we can handle it. But if Luan were to give her comedy routine at a sold-out theater, much like how Lori's golf tournaments routinely receive mass media attention, or how Lola's pageants and Leni's fashion shows are not only packed with attendees and unforseeable factors, then a majority of the family is called."

"So, we had the support we needed..." Leni was shocked to hear that, "not the support we wanted?..."

"Well, that's a minority of the schedule," Lisa assured her, "The majority of the days had one event, so the entire family was required."

"But Lincoln tried to weasel out, even though he never had anything going on for him!" Lola said.

"That's the paradox. He didn't have anything going for him, so we forced him to have everything going for him."

Lola and Lynn realized what that meant and clammed up.

"Ironic, isn't it?" Lisa said, "We all demanded that everyone show support, only to utterly berate him for trying to back out. Then, we allow one loss to infect our minds and berated him for coming. And if my memory serves me correctly (and it always does), this is the only real outing he's asked our support. And unlike the bad luck shenanigans, which were inflicted by people with control, this event has real consequences that are completely out of our control."

"So, He's overwhelmed and overbooked?" Ronnie Anne blurted out, "Dang..." she saw Lynn slump over and scooted to her, "Ah...sorry to sound like a jerk, but...do you think maybe...he'll forgive you and let it off your shoulders?..." she didn't get a word out of Lynn.

Just a unison response from Lisa and Leni that freaked her out, "I don't see how..."

Meanwhile, Lincoln changed into his battle uniform, mentally preparing himself to become a battle-hardened warrior, when Chifuyu suddenly interrupted the silence.

"Hey, Lincoln," she commed, "You've been in there for 15 minutes. Is everything ok?"

"Oh, I'm good," he said, "I got everything I need to know in five!"

"So...you're still hung up on the...you know."

"Yeah. My sister Lori, she said that I shouldn't forgive them...or shut them off. Does that make any sense to you?"

"Yeah, she talked with me about it yesterday. What was it...friends with restrictions?"

"That's What she called it."

"It means, nothing's changed between you and your family. Just casually bring it up in small talk like it's not a big deal."

"Ugh..." again, he wanted to be wrong, but he was right, "passive aggressive my foot."

"I know, but she does have a point."

"Haha...ok," that brief exchange relaxed his nerves, "Hey, Chifuyu? I think I'm ready to go now."

"Are you sure? This is gonna be your first real fight. The bullies of the past don't hold so much as a dim candle to this. We're still gonna make sure you don't get hurt, but we're dealing with real weapons here, so if you need to pull out anytime, just say so."

"Thanks, But no. I gotta show mom and dad that I can handle this. Besides, that Absolutely whatever will protect me."

"Are you absolutely sure you want to proceed?"

"Haha, I'm sure. I just needed someone to talk to, is all."

"Well..." Chifuyu was forced to eat the words she said to Maya, much to his unawareness, "Ok. I'll inform the proctor."

The monitor shut off.

"Welp," Lincoln said to his belt, "This is it. Ain't no turning back for either of us."

The belt vibrated a little bit.

"We'll be fine. I'll get this over with, and we'll have one last hurrah."

The monitor came back on. "I have been notified that you wish to proceed to the battle phase?" Akane asked.

"Yes," he commed back, "I'm ready to go."

"Understood," Akane pushed the button to open the entryway, "The practical will begin momentarily. Please step into the arena and deploy your IS."

Lincoln stood up and walked out. He was immediately bombarded by a roar of the crowd and the static view of the containment field. He saw Maya casually walk to meet him. He pushed through the noise and saw his family and friends staring at him intently. He waved at them, then turned to his belt, "Game time. Ready?" The belt blinked. "Alright..." he took one deep breath to isolate everyone except him and Maya, "...then let's ride!" He swing his arm out, and he became enveloped in a bright light. When the light subsided, he found himself in the same tall machine he first found.

"Something's off," a staff member told, "It's still in its default form."

"Looks like a battle is needed after all..." Chifuyu commented.

He saw Maya deploy her IS in less than a second.

"The Raphael Revive..." He whispered, "Yep...that's a military angel, Alright."

"Hiya, Linc!" Maya waved, "How are you enjoying the day so far?"

"It was ok, until real life hit me in the sack!"

"Yeah, sucks to be us, I'll say that much!"

Then, Akane boomed over the loudspeakers, "All combatants please ascend 300 feet into the air."

They carried on a short exchange while ascending.

"Did you have to deal with this when you took the exam?!" He shouted.

"Yeah! I was 15, but it was still pretty scary!"

"Dangit..."

"Hey, just some advice! Try to have a little fun, yeah?!"

"Uh...huhhhhhh..." when he stopped the ascent, he looked down. He was hit with a mix of fear and excitement, "It's a lot less scary when I'm moving..."

Everyone looked up. His family held their breath, not knowing what could happen. Lynn and Ronnie Anne grabbed each other's hands for security.

"We're ready to start the second portion of the exam," Akane opened a private channel to both pilots, "Are both pilots ready?"

"Yes, I am," Maya changed her gaze from friendly to focus.

Lincoln closed his eyes and took a minute to prepare himself. Then, he got in his fighting stance, "I'm ready."

"Understood," Akane said, "Candidate Loud, you may begin."

At that point, the stands were projecting the pilots' key stats:

MAYA YAMADA (19) - RAPHAEL REVIVE BASIC (SHIELD 100%)

LINCOLN LOUD (11) - ??? (SHIELD 110%)

Lincoln charged Maya with all his speed. She fired her sniper rifle, but he managed to dodge the bullet and flip over for a kick, which she blocked with a combat knife. She pushed him away and fired again, but he blocked the bullet and tried to rush her again. This time, he was met with a kick and a strike, which he avoided, but he couldn't see her sneak a punch to his chest.

"Oooo..." his family winced.

"I know I felt that..." Lola snapped.

"I can't watch!" Lynn Sr. used Lily to cover his eyes.

"Come on, bro..." Lynn whispered.

Lincoln quickly shook the shock off, "Oh man...that was scary..."

"But you're still alive, right?" Maya pointed out.

"Hey...Yeah, I am!..."

"It's all thanks to the Absolute Defense barrier! As long as it stays active, you yourself can't be harmed!"

"Really?! I'm still safe?!"

"Yeah..." Maya snuck behind Lincoln while he was still reeling, "...but you can still get shook."

-BLAM!-

Maya blasted him with her grenade launcher.

"AaAaAaAaAaAaAaAa-OOOooogh..." Lincoln went into a continuous sideflip before he recovered and floated above the grass. "Dang, she's gonna be tough..." he thought, "Do I have anything to work with?" He unconsciously opened up a hologram of his IS's armaments:

-HOMING PALMAR PROJECTILES: materialize explosive card bombs by holding palms together, then releasing and grabbing-

-BOOMBOOMBOOM-

"AAAAA!" Lincoln was hit with three heavy bullets, "Right, right, keep moving!" He flew all over the arena evading every shot Maya took, "Ok...what did that thing say...hold the palms together..." he put them in for a couple seconds, and a pair of cards materialized in his hand, "Huh...that was easOMIGOD-" He threw them at the last second to save himself from a grenade-missile attack.

"Well, at least I got a good feel for what she can do..." he gasped, "Counter the flying things, close the distance, get it, got it, doubt it, ok, YAYAYAYAYAYA~~~"

"What in the..." Chifuyu smirked.

Lincoln charged into Maya's line of fire, countering her bullets and grenades with his card bombs. When she was close enough to strike, he threw another card to try to disorient her, and a fist to hit her.

She took the hit from the card, but she caught onto his surprise attack, locking elbows with him.

"Looks like you're getting into it!" Maya said.

"Oh, you know," Lincoln laughed, "If you can't beat 'em..."

She one-two socked him with her rifle and tried to fire point blank, but he materialized a card and blocked the bullet.

From that point on, it was a chasing game. She pursued him with her guns ablazing, and he kept her eyes on her for any possible openings. Every so often, she would throw him off his balance with a stray grenade or a sudden burst of speed, causing him to steer clear of her until she left herself open for an attack; he always tried to capitalize on the opportunity, but she always found a way to push him back. Most times, he was the one who initiates the rush, throwing his cards at her and her shots until she veered off her path, then charge in at her. But no matter what he did, he never got a solid hit in. That didn't stop him from trying.

And his family saw all of it. No matter how many times he got knocked back, he always kept pushing forward. And he was starting to have fun doing it.

"Look at him go..." Luna commented, "It's like he's becoming someone else..."

"Yeah..." Lori whispered, "Someone...manly."

"Uh, What?" Bobby jolted her.

"Nothing! Nothing..."

"You know what," Lana said, "He's making me kinda jealous."

"Why? Is it because he's a superhero and you're not?" Lola asked.

"Well, that too..."

Clyde saw Lynn's face. She was absolutely shocked that Lincoln was able to bounce back from such a hardship. "You know..."

"Huh?..." Lynn looked at him.

"This wouldn't have happened if you hadn't locked him outta the house," Clyde pointed at Lincoln.

"Sheesh," Ronnie Anne elbowed both of them, "You two are insufferable, you know that?"

At that point, Lynn stood up, "COME ON, LINCOLN! GET THOSE DUMBBELLS OUTTA YOUR KEISTER AND MOVE IT!"

"You can do this, Lincoln!" Leni cheered.

"Knock that sucker outta the park!" Lana shouted.

And like a wave of magic, the entire crowd started to root for Lincoln.

"Gotta admit... that kid is pretty tough," a classmate of his said.

Lincoln paid absolutely no attention to anything outside the containment field. He was just looking at Maya the whole time, long enough to get a kick in before she pushed him away again.

"Not bad, little hero!" Maya charged her wings, "But, can you handle THIS!"

Her One-off Ability activated, sending 10 rockets hurdling towards Lincoln.

"Whoa, dongle berries!" Lincoln managed to evade eight of them by pushing his flexibility past its limit, but he saw the last two coming for his sides. "Dangit, what do I do?!" He saw Maya brandish her combat knife, "No choice! Take it and blow it off!"

He held his palms out ready to take the hit, but a pair of cards suddenly flew out of his hands and exploded the rockets. It gave everyone the illusion that he got hit.

"LINCOLN! NO!" Lynn shouted.

"Is this it for him?!" Rita shredded her popcorn.

Maya rushed in to attack, but Lincoln popped out of the cloud of smoke and caught her by surprise, in more ways than one. He grabbed both the knife and the rifle, kicked her, punched her, threw a card right at her face, and pushed her away with an uppercut.

"Holy! What just happened?!" One of the spectators screamed.

"I don't..." the parents were awestruck by what they just saw, "wow..."

Lynn's initial reaction of shock slowly but surely turned into an ecstatic expression.

Clyde and Lana suddenly geeked out.

Ronnie Anne and Bobby both sighed, "Oh, that little geek..."

"Guh..." Lola muttered, "I'm gonna faint..."

Lori and Leni were too scared to open their eyes, until Lisa said, "Well, looks like his wish was granted."

When they opened, "Buh...buh...buh..."

MAYA YAMADA (19) - RAPHAEL REVIVE BASIC (SHIELD 92/100%)

LINCOLN LOUD (11) - SAVVY SUITE (SHIELD 43/137%)

The rest of the family had lost their words, but Lincoln was just happy he landed some solid hits, "Ha...haha...hahahaha...I got her!...Took a while, but... I finally got her!..."

Maya just brushed it off, "Ok, that was a good one. But, Uh..." she pointed to his arm, "That's not all you got."

"Huh?" Lincoln checked his IS, "What do yooouuuuooooOOOOOH MY GOD!" His IS changed form completely. Instead of looking like a chrome angelic samurai, its color scheme was retooled; its wing units shrunk to two-thirds of their original size, but they were more pronounced and spread out...sort of...like a...cape...

"I gotta be dreaming...what's this thing called?..." he checked his IS's stats and momentarily lost all feeling in his body.

SAVVY SUITE, FORMAT COMPLETE

1ST SHIFT: ACE OF SPADES

HOMING PALMAR CARD BOMBS UPGRADED: WILL NOW MATERIALIZE AT WILL

SHIELD ENERGY UPGRADED

ONE-OFF ABILITY: "Deal Me In", MATERIALIZE A CARICATURED ALLY AT THE COST OF SHIELD ENERGY

"Oh no...oh no no no no..." Lincoln uttered, "This is...how did...But your-"

"Just a friendly FYI," Maya explained, "The reason why each IS looks different is because it's based on the pilot's preferences. For example, my IS is like this because I like the simple things in life, nothing too extravagant."

"Uh...Huh..." Lincoln was dumbfounded. He had no idea how much an IS could connect with a human, "So...then...that means..."

"There's a spark in you that your IS found, and it built itself around that."

Lincoln was about to squeal. For this one fight, he wasn't Lincoln. He was Ace Savvy...if Ace could robot...and shoot things...Ace Savvy into the future.

But then he took notice of the color scheme of Maya's IS. If he blurred his eyes just a tiny bit...she would look like Card Countess, an archenemy of Ace.

"Uh-oh..." Maya giggled, "That spark in his eyes..."

"I know," Chifuyu commed over, "Whaddaya say we let him have his fun?"

"Gotcha," Maya said before preparing to face him once more.

Lincoln allowed himself a minute to soak in the moment. Then, when he opened his eyes, he was ready to play-fight. He banged his fists together, "Time to deal out some justice." When he released, he was armed with 10 cards.

Maya charged her wing units again, "Deal me in, if you dare."

She let the rockets loose, but he blasted them all with his cards. Then, they rushed each other and locked elbows.

"You're days of calling bluffs are over, Card Countess!" Lincoln screamed.

"You should've played smart and folded, Ace Savvy!" Maya let her rockets loose again.

Lincoln dodged, countered her sniper shot with a card, and hammered down the knife she threw. Maya was able to rush a combo in before blasting him away, but she didn't see a stray card blast her left wing.

After that, it was nothing but card slinging, shot firing, metal bashing goodness. For the whole of two minutes, they lost themselves in the fight, humorously throwing around poker puns while trying to get as many hits as they could. Lincoln started to find his flair in the last 30 seconds, flipping over bullets and sidestepping rockets like they were nothing.

Thanks to that flair, he slipped through Maya's defenses, and launched his very own special attack.

"*GASP* How did-" Maya was fronted by his back.

"Pick a card!" Lincoln kicked her back and threw several cards at her before elbowing her. "Pick 'em all!" Then, he flung her upward and bombarded her with more cards until he was right on top of her.

"52 CARD PICKUP!" A 55-hit combo that consists of three transitional hits and an onslaught of 52 card bombs hammering Maya to the ground.

The entire crowd jumped for joy.

"HE GOT HER!" Lynn went nuts, "DID YOU SEE THAT?!"

"Not even Ace Savvy himself could come up with something that flashy!" Clyde exclaimed, "Well, ok, he could, but-"

"Our little brother's a hero now!" Leni shouted.

"Yeah..." Lori said, realizing what his stellar performance would mean, "Yeah, he is..."

"Hey, don't sweat it, dude," Luna said, "He's been taking all that punishment, and he's still picking himself up."

"Even when we kicked him out because of bad luck..." Leni gave a sad smile, "even though we give him the bad end of a carrot stick, he still thinks about us."

"Well, honey?" Rita asked her husband, "You saw him get back up every time he's been knocked down. He just did it for himself. And he's going to do it again for all of us. While traveling abroad and having fun."

Lynn Sr and Lori looked on as Lincoln made a superhero landing and pull off the signature Ace Savvy pose, materializing five new cards in his hand. He looked like he was about to collapse from exhaustion, but he was having so much fun showing his family his full potential, he didn't care. He wanted to keep going. Finally he got the excitement that the sisters felt.

"Yeah..." Lynn Sr. thought, "I think he'll be alright..."

"Are we really gonna let him go off like this?" Luan asked.

"He's been our lightning rod for the past two years, eight months, and seventeen days," Lisa grinned, "I think he's earned a leave of absence."

Maya, on the other hand, was dazed. She didn't know how he planned his attack, but she was nevertheless impressed by his tactical maneuvers.

Chifuyu felt the need to rub it in, "Miss Yamadaaaaa...mind telling me how a quarter of your shield energy disappeared in the span of ten seconds?"

"I don't know," she answered, "It just happened."

"Well, start knowing, because it's time to wrap this up."

Maya saw the live stats on the stands. Her shield was down to 63%, but he had 14%. She then looked at Lincoln, who couldn't resist a wide grin despite how heavy he's breathing. "Understood," she said, "Time to poison this insanity..." She flicked her hair and brushed off her shoulders, "Ready to flop into the river yet?!"

"Please," Lincoln breathes, "I still have a few aces up my sleeve."

Maya readied her rockets, knife, and sniper rifle, "You'd sooner fall than continue the straight!"

"Trust me," Lincoln was ready to go all in on this final attack, "I can fight on."

Maya threw everything at him, and he managed to avoid all of it. He then rushed her, and they locked elbows for the last time. He started to push her backwards until he saw where she hid her knife. He flipped over and struck a card at that spot, preparing to launch his 52-Card Pickup. That was when she saw his entire battle plan: he was going to borrow a page from Luan's art of misdirection, purposefully throwing himself in harm's way only to escape at the last minute and leave his opponent disoriented.

"Heh...we've got a lot to teach you..." Maya took the first few hits, using the force of their impact to slip right into Lincoln's reach.

Lincoln tried to kick her off, but she already grabbed his leg and socked him twice. She then knocked him upward,

"Sorry, Lincoln."

and ended the fight with one final shot of her rifle.

LINCOLN LOUD (11) - SAVVY SUITE (SHIELD 8/137% - CRITICAL) - **LOSE**

The buzzer sounded the end of the battle, and the end of the exam.

Lincoln hit the ground hard. Every muscle in his body was aching, and yet the rush didn't stop. He was dead tired, but he felt a sense of satisfaction he never felt before. All possible animosity towards his family, even for the cycle, even for the bad luck crud...gone. That last thing he saw before he drifted off was his family and friends rushing to him and carrying him away from the arena.


	4. INTRO: Wish Me Luck (Part 4)

"...oln...Li...n..."

"Mmm...uhhhhh..."

"Hello?...key wa...bre...dy!..."

"Uhhh...who is that...sounds like..."

"HEY, LINKY-DINK! UP AND AT 'EM!"

"AAAAA! What?! What happ...Uh, who are you? And where am I? And what even happening of course?..."

"I'm gonna say 'I dunno' to all of them..."

"Huh?" Lincoln woke up in his normal clothes, in a world of black. And yet he could very clearly see this person in front of him. The person that looked exactly like him...only female...

"Uh," the girl touched foreheads, "Are you ok?"

"I...think so-OOF!"

"Because that was AMAZEBALLS! That one with the flying and the cards, you were all just-PAPAPAPAPAPAPAPPAPAPAPOW! BAM! BLAMO! And you were bobbing and weaving like it was~~~"

Lincoln couldn't understand this girl's rambling. In fact, he couldn't understand the situation at all. So many questions filled his head, questions he knew were never going to be answered...unless they tied to the IS, in which case there would be a _lot_ of incomprehensible technical jargon.

So he just wrote it off as a dream and ran with it, "Um, hello?"

The girl stopped her rambling, "Yeah?"

"Uh...How did I get here?"

"Hm, let's see," the girl thought, "Last I remember, you were conked out, and then you were carried away somewhere."

"WHAT?! **AM I DEAD?!**"

"Haha, no! If you were, you wouldn't be talking!"

"Guh...that's a relief."

"I gotta know, though. How did you come across that glorious super suit?!"

"Well..." As much as he didn't want to recount that night, he had to, "It was the night I was locked out of my own house...I wanted to blow off some steam..."

"And that's when you discovered...iiiiiiiiiiiiiiit."

"Yeah...boy, do I feel weird..."

"As do I. If it weren't for the bad luck crap..."

"Yep..." he figured something was out to mess with him. Something always was. "Ah, question. Is there such thing as luck?"

"Um, technically, the answer is no. I'd like to think that everything happens for a reason."

"Then...what's the reason for me getting locked out only to stumble upon the IS thing..."

"That was your choice. I think you were done with everything."

"I know... I was done with my own family, but...now I'm..."

"Hehe, lemme guess. "I _have _to go" just became "I _want _to go". Right?"

Lincoln felt a mixture of shame, embarrassment, and relief.

"Ha, it's ok!" The girl smacked his back, "It's common for people our age to be all emotionally confused."

"Wait-huh?! Whaddaya mean by that?"

"Oh, that's just a guess. I'm just going by what's going on in your family."

"Uhhh, what?" Lincoln could not believe what he just heard.

"Speaking of, how is your family doing? I mean, when you were knocked out?"

"Well...probably getting antsy. But I've seen it all before."

"But not when you're _dead_ tired, I bet."

"No...no, they haven't," Lincoln realized that this was the first time that someone was actually in danger, "This is different."

"Ironic, huh? You were close to passing out in the fur costume, but you actually passed out in the metal _superhero _costume."

And a very damaging thought emerged, "Heh... I guess I'll always be a lightning rod..."

The girl saw he was distraught at the possibility of never fully escaping the cycle. She tapped his shoulder, "You know..."

"What is it?"

"I'd like to think there's a right way and a wrong way to do everything, even being a lightning rod. Probably not very helpful, but..."

"...What do you mean?"

"If you really think you can't escape...maybe you could use all that static for something else?"

"Like, what?"

"Just a thought. I mean, you're gonna have plenty of time to think on it, right? There's gotta be a way to channel all that static right back at them."

"Uh, how's this helpful in any way?"

"No clue. Just passing the time, is all."

Lincoln gave a discomforted face and just talking to the girl until...

-BEEP...BEEP...BEEP...BEEP ~~~-

"...uhhhh...my everything..." he was in an infirmary of sorts, with his family and friends right beside him, "What...are you guys doing here..."

"Oh my god, Lincoln!" Ronnie Anne hugged him, "You're ok! We thought you were a goner!"

"OWOWOWOWOW-CRAMP IN THE RAMP! CRAMP IN THE RAMP! CRAMP IN THE RAMP!" Lincoln slithered out of her arms, "Agh-ooh...I won't be able to poop properly for a while..."

"You feeling ok?" Ronnie Anne picked him up.

"Yeah-AYY...I think so?" Lincoln steadied himself on his feet, "Ugh... I feel like I just shed ten pounds..."

"Yeah...you kinda look it too..."

"Hm?" Lincoln saw he was still in his skin-tight battle uniform, "AAAAA! NAKED MONKEY!"

"Heheheheh...easy, Lame-o," Ronnie gave him his old clothes, "No cameras here to capture every single muscle."

"Ok... I...where the others?..."

"Outside. They're taking it pretty seriously."

"How serious?"

Ronnie Anne gave him two pieces of paper, "It's your assessment."

And once Lincoln saw the bottom half of the papers, he knew the world was going to change, big time.

WRITTEN ASSESSMENT: 84 (B)

COMBAT ASSESSMENT: 82 (B)

OVERALL RESULT: **PASS**

IS COMPATIBILITY RATING: A

"Oh boy... I got in..." once again, he began to feel the weight of his decision, "I've got one day to let them off easy..."

"Easier said than done," Ronnie Anne escorted him out, "I was gonna bash on Lynn for causing all this, but she's in enough pain as is."

"Pain? She didn't hurt herself, did she?!"

"No. When she found out you passed, she just ran outta here. We tried to stop her, but she was too strong...and too pushy. That Ori-woman chased after her."

"Geez..." Lincoln wondered what could've set her off, "Is it the...you know..."

"I think so. I don't know what's in her mind anymore."

"Maybe we should leave her be...give her time to cool off."

"Yeah..." Ronnie Anne sat them both on the small bed, "Hey, are you sure you wanna go?"

"What do you mean?"

"I mean, you're gonna be separated hundreds of miles from us. Are you sure you can handle it?"

Lincoln leaned on her shoulder, "It's not like we'll be _apart_ apart. And I'm never gonna be alone for long, as we already saw."

"Heheh, can't argue with that," Ronnie was about to give his shoulders a much needed massage-

But they were love-squeezed by Leni, "OH, LINKYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY!"

"OOF!...Nice...to see you..." they grunted.

"I can't believe you're going away and we won't see you again and we haven't even forgive and we justtyyaaaAAAAHAHAHAHAHAAAAAAA!"

"Ok...we get it..." Ronnie Anne felt limp, "Can you let...us...talk..."

"Ok, blubberball!" Luna pried her off, "You've said your piece!"

"Guh...has she always been this strong?!..." Ronnie gasped.

"Not usually..." Leni sobbed, "I mean...he's gonna go away..."

"You passed both parts of the exam?" Rita confirmed, "Wow, that's...that's wonderful!"

"Yeah," Lincoln said, "I'm gonna ship out tomorrow. It's a weird feeling for me."

"Us, too," Lana muttered, "I mean, it was amazing how you piloted that thing. But, you also had to think on your toes and punch outta that giant wall and..."

Lana couldn't finish.

"I guess...what we're trying to get at is," his father said, "We're really proud of you." He sat down beside him, "it's still mind blowing how fast it came to us...and even more mind blowing how well you took it. Are you sure you wanna do this?"

"Actually...yeah, I _want_ to do this," Lincoln answered, "it's a whole new rush flying around in that IS. It's scary, but in a good way. I couldn't believe I didn't know about it sooner."

"So, you're leaving us after all?..." Leni whimpered, "Well, what about the...beach, and the game...can you at least say something about it?..."

"Leni, don't," Lori gripped her shoulder.

Lincoln knew what she meant, so he automatically searched his...everything...for the right words. He knew he couldn't say it, but he definitely cannot instill any more anger in them. He repeated Lori's advice to himself until he found a good phrase to use, "I...I don't know if I can..."

Leni buried herself in Lori's shoulders.

"We understand," Luna came up to him and hugged, "We're just happy you're still with us. We got another day to go crazy with you, after all."

"Whose idea was it to make it just one day?" Ronnie said.

"Would you like a week, then?" Maya suddenly popped in.

"What do you mean?" Luna asked.

"Well, there are rules in place for teens," Maya explained, "but Lincoln's only 11. I can get you some more time, if it's ok with you."

Lincoln looked at his family, then back at Maya, "Yeah. I think we'd like that-AGH!" He was double-hugged by Leni and Lola, "Guys, I'm not gone for-"

"We know that!" Lola shouted, "Just shut up and hug us back!"

"Well, looks like someone's in need of an anti-flammatory _hug_!" Luan squeezed the four of them.

The rest of the family snickered, except Lucy. "Luan?" She groaned, "Are you aware of what you just said?"

"What'd I say?"

"Uh, anyway!" Lori yanked Luan back a bit, "Now that we're all here! What do you think about lunch-"

"Wait," Lucy poked, "Where's Lynn?"

Elsewhere, in a furniture store...

Chifuyu knocked thrice on a shelf, "Lynn? Are you sure it has to be this sturdy?"

"Well, we never know if someone's gonna sneak a pounce," Lynn scanned the dressers for a suitable replacement.

"Namely you?"

"Oh, pshaw! I stopped doing that years ago!"

Chifuyu saw her lifting the dresser and mirror and rearranging them on the cart, by herself, "I feel like my pride's gone down the crapper..." She pushed the bookshelf on the cart and rolled everything down to the registers, "I have never seen anyone run as fast as you."

"It comes with its perks," Lynn said, "Like never having to put up with any more bullies."

"Like how?"

"My first day in middle school, they really took advantage of me. Misleading me and trapping me in parts unknown, Farty McStink Face I think...blech. I toughened up the next day and confronted them head on!"

"And how'd that turn out?"

"I was winning until the school bully...he was held back a couple years...he started getting the better of me. Then, his friends got the jump on me, and I was stuck to the ground. When he was about to...finish me..."

Chifuyu noticed that she stopped moving. She saw a sad smile on Lynn's face and knelt down to her eyes, "Lemme guess...Lincoln Ex-Machina."

"Yeah..." Lynn suddenly got bashful, "He ran in screaming, teachers and parents running after him, and... he just took the punch for me."

"Whoa...does he remember any of that?..."

"Heheh, no," Lynn teared up a bit, "That bully made Lincoln forget with one punch...but no one else did. He's still in jail, but..."

"You think that started this whole "shove it off to him" business?"

"Well..." Lynn didn't know how to respond. It was tempting to say no, but she remembered every single moment since that day that he took the heat, "I wanna say no, but..."

"Hey, Hey, it's ok. Come on," Chifuyu walked her out, "We can talk more in the van."

When Chifuyu and Lynn checked everything out, they went for a short drive around the town.

Lynn was eyeing all the places she and her family have visited.

"See anything good out there?" Chifuyu asked.

"Nah...just places...that's all..."

"And memories, I bet."

"Yep...this is the street where I took him on his first bike ride. He was so jumpy, yelling out 'Faster! Go faster!' all the dang time."

"I imagine. The wind in your hair, the cool crispness on your pits..."

Lynn giggled a little, but went back to somber, "...You know what the worst part about that fight was?"

"What's worse than..." Chifuyu's high-processing brain stopped her, "Oh, you cannot tell me he thought that far ahead."

"Good news: he didn't. Bad news..."

Nearly three years ago...Lynn's first day of sixth grade was the worst she had ever suffered, so she vowed to never again show any weakness to her friends, and especially her bullies. She returned the next day to stand up to them, but the school bully demanded she learn her place. When she refused to do so, the bullies challenged her to an after-school brawl. That was when Lincoln and Clyde came back from their second day of third grade and saw Lynn getting pummeled.

_("Clyde! Get help! Get everyone here!")_

_("What are you...are you crazy?! You'll get hurt!")_

_("And if I don't, she'll get killed!")_

That was also the day Lincoln developed his first real plan: he knew they couldn't beat the bully, so he planned to take the blow and have the bully caught doing it. The end result was the bully getting four years in juvenile for two counts of aggravated assault; his accomplices getting orphaned and publicly humiliated; and Lynn getting permanently scarred into her brash personality.

This remained the family secret. When the doctors checked him out, Lincoln had absolutely no recollection of that event, or any event that day. Everyone convinced him that it was a stray baseball that knocked him out, and Lynn suffered a sports injury. The family was instructed to never reveal to him the events of that day, under any circumstances. The problem was that they went along with it so well, they had all but forgotten that little tidbit of the past...

_("WE SCREW UP! WE APOLOGIZE! WE LEARN OUR LESSON! THEN THE NEXT DAY COMES...**WHAT SCREWUP?! WHAT APOLOGY?! WHAT LESSON?!"**)_

...until that other tidbit happened. The family was force-fed everything they said and did to him in the past three days.

"Jesus..." Chifuyu lost her speech, "so that day with the bad luck crud..."

"I honestly don't know what to think anymore," Lynn said, "I couldn't own up to the loss... and even then, my team is going to the finals, which means that loss is even more petty."

"Add to that Lincoln's going away...after he almost...why's he going again?"

"Beats me."

"Huh?" Chifuyu parked in the driveway, "Odd. No one's home yet."

"More time for us," Lynn hopped out to get the furniture inside.

"Wait," Chifuyu held her back a little, "Why don't we try to vent everything out first?"

"Uh, why?"

"So when he does come home, we can take it a little easier."

"Oh..." Lynn scratched her elbow, "Well...sure. We can do that a little..."

Three hours later, Lincoln and his family came back home to the worst possible display of power differences.

Chifuyu and Lynn got into an arm wrestling contest, "GO!"

They maintained their steely gaze and pushed forward, not giving any thought to the bewildered faces that saw a fully grown woman struggle against a prepubescent teenager.

"Ngh...holy...where does your strength come from?!" Chifuyu had barely held on for 15 seconds.

Until Lynn powered up to the max and toppled the Brunhilde and the table. "BOO-YAH! ULTIMATE VICTORY!"

"Ugh...what did I say about my pride?..." Chifuyu propped herself on the couch, "Do you even need an IS?..."

"Not really," Lynn jumped on Chifuyu's torso, "I just love to get moving." She dragged her off the couch, "Come on! We gotta see how the bed looks!"

"Hey, easy!" Chifuyu was dragged all the way to Lincoln's room, "I still can't-" BONK "-MY SHIN!"

"Bed? Leg?" Lincoln said, "What did they do?!"

"I didn't make the bed yet," Lana thought. She and Lincoln rushed to his bedroom to see if any damage was done. They found the opposite.

"You don't suppose that first aid kit has anything for shins, do you?" Chifuyu rubbed her leg.

"Nope. You just have to tough it out," Lynn dropped a book on her shin, and didn't flinch, "Nothing to it."

"Keep telling yourself that..."

"Hahahaaa, are _you_ in need of training?"

"No, I ain't!" Chifuyu tackled Lynn and got into a tickle fight.

Lincoln and Lana were amazed at how well the two got along. Even more amazed at how they put together new sleeker furniture, without breaking anything, "Did you do this?..."

Chifuyu and Lynn stopped at the sound of his voice, "Uhhhh...maybe?"

Chifuyu hoisted Lynn onto the bed, then escorted Lana out, but not before sneaking in his ear, "By the way, this was her idea."

Lincoln's eyes widened, "Really?!" He walked inside, "Lynn? This was all you?"

"Emptied out my allowance, too..." Lynn said, "Though she helped a little..."

"Oh..." Lincoln sat down in front of her, knowing exactly why she did it, "I mean, I could just bunk in with one of you, so..."

"But...you're not worried about your own stuff?"

"Yeah, but that's not... what happened with the furniture-"

"I can't say it anymore," Lynn slid off the bed and met his eyes, "I wanna say it so bad, but I can't."

"Lynn...you don't have to beat yourself up any more. This isn't-"

"Yes I do...This is the _third_ time I almost got you killed...I'm just happy you're still here."

"I could say the same for you. No one knew where you went, so..."

"I have that habit...but I couldn't help that you're gone next week. I just...maybe I could-"

"Actually, I wanted to leave you a present," Lincoln propped himself up.

"Really?" Lynn was surprised, "Even after all that?"

"Yeah. I guess I'm just that kind of guy," he took her hand and led her to the front yard, "Come on! Let me show you!"

"Uh, show me what?"

"The reason I've been gone for thee hours. And let's just say, it turned into a short-term business."

"What do you mean?" Lynn stopped at the porch.

Lincoln steadied himself on the concrete, "Hop on!"

"Huh? What's this about?" Lynn acted like she didn't know where this would go, but she was actually a little scared.

"Trust me," Lincoln grinned, "I think you'll like it."

"Um, ok," Lynn climbed onto his back.

"Ok, Ace!" Lincoln released his IS, "LET'S RIDE!"

Lynn felt a warm light encompassing both of them. When the glow subsided, she was surrounded by two metallic wing units that acted as a secure fastener. "No way..." she figured out what he was going to give her, "Did you give everyone a ride?!"

"Almost," Lincoln levitated off the ground.

"AAA!" Lynn hugged him to keep herself on.

"You hanging in there?" Lincoln positionedhtt himself like a wave board.

"I think so..."

"Yeah, this is a bit too complicated for words now. It's better if I just show you."

"Uh...ok..." Lynn hunkered down.

"You ready to do this, Lynn?"

_("You ready to do this, bro?")_

Lynn took a deep breath, "Yeah. Yeah, let's go!"

_("Yeah! Yeah! Let's go!")_

Lincoln steadied his gaze to the horizon that lay before him, "Takeoff In 3! 2! 1!"

_("Takeoff in 3, 2, 1!")_

Lincoln eased them out of the yard and slowly worked his way up to flight speed. With every second that passed, Lynn took in more of the sense of speed and thrill. She threw her hands up in the air and felt the wild winds brushing against her body.

"This is amazing!" She screamed and laughed, "I feel like I can fly anywhere!"

_("This is amazing! I feel like I can go anywhere!")_

"We can jack up the speed, too!" Lincoln said.

_("Wanna see how fast we can go?")_

"Come on, bro! Go faster! Faster!"

_("Come on, Lynn! Go faster! Faster!"_)

"Alright, Lynn! Hang on tight!"

_("Alright, little bro! Hang on tight!")_

But the real thrill ride was after Lincoln crossed into the city area. As soon as they reached the tall buildings, he ascended on a steady angle. Lynn was already enjoying the ride until she looked to her side. She saw dozens of streets pass by her, each time giving her a small beam of the sunset. She also caught glimpses of the reflection in the buildings, reminiscent of the bike ride she gave him the weekend after her big scuffle. But whereas the highlight of the bike ride was the long stretch of open road from the neighborhood to the park...

"Hehey! Check out the view!"

_("Dude...check out the view!")_

...this ride went to the open sky. The sun setting on the city skyline. The whole of Royal Woods was open for just the two of them. They could see the fields, the forests, the other cities, and the mountain range that lay beyond.

"Whoa...dude, this is wonderful..."

_("Wow! This is wonderful!")_

They flew high into the sky, counting the trees, lakes, houses, and shops they could remember. They took in the silence of the wind, allowing them to focus on the moment, and the memories. They spent a good part of two hours over the earth, sometimes hearing a bystander yell out,

"It's him! It's the hero of Royal Woods!"

_("It's her! She stood up to those nasty bullies!")_

Not only did Lynn enjoy every second of the breathtaking flight, she got a good understanding of why Lincoln was going away. He actually wanted to go. He didn't care about the events of yesterday anymore. He had the means to contribute to the family, on his terms. And he wanted to experience more of the freedom that she was feeling. Freedom from all that emotional baggage, freedom from the grudges of yesterday. Freedom from worrying about who would be the next lightning rod.

And she was compelled to oblige.

She tightened her grip around his waist as they flew around the region. During the return trip, she fell asleep. Lincoln looked behind and saw the satisfaction on her face. He couldn't resist a smile. He made a slow descent and took them back home, where he saw Chifuyu and Maya take part in a backyard game with his family. He snuck his way inside, retracted his IS, and carried her all the way to his bed, where he fell asleep in her arms.

The next morning, Lynn was the first to wake up. She didn't know how she wound up in Lincoln's bed, or why he slept with her. But she didn't care. She hugged him tighter and buried her face in his hair. She muttered that phrase over and over until he woke up.

"Mmm...uhhhhh...Lynn?..." He was dazed, "What are you doing here?..."

"You carried me here, remember?"

"Oh...oh, yeah... I forgot..."

"It happens a lot," she admitted, "but probably for the worst..."

"No, not like that..." Lincoln had trouble expressing himself, "it's just something that happens."

"Oh... that's no fun..." Lynn had even more trouble, "then again, what's it even mean..."

"I don't know. Why don't you say it?"

"Naw, you say it!"

"I wanna hear you say it!"

"Nuh-uh, you first!"

The exchange slowly worked up to a small playfight. They had fun rolling around in his bed and trying to get the upper hand on each other. They kept going at it for a few minutes before they felt hungry. As in, their stomachs growled at the same time.

"Uh..." Lincoln wondered, "Oh, that's right! We didn't have dinner yesterday."

"Right, that woman said something about a celebration," Lynn recalled.

"Huh..." he got up and out, "Better find out what her deal is."

"And Leni 2.0 while we're at it," and she followed, "Hey! Wanna have waffles? I'm making 'em!"

"Really? You can do that now? Oh, let me help you with-"

"Nah, you just relax," she winked, "I got this."

"Uh...ok," he had to oblige. But they barely touched the living room carpet when they were startled by a-

"SURPRISE!"

"AAAAA!" Lincoln deployed the wings and arms, and Lynn grabbed a hidden barbell, "OYOYO!"

"Stand down!" Maya screamed, "We're not hostile!"

"Oh... that's...buhhh..."

"Hey, champ," Lynn Sr. said, "We were just getting your celebration on."

"You wanna join in?" Leni asked.

"Uh, what's..." Lincoln was about to ask before Chifuyu and Lori came out of the kitchen.

"Oh! Lincoln!" Lori said, "We weren't expecting you until later."

"I think it's safe now," Lana and Lola carried a huge table outside.

"Wait...I thought I got another week before I had to go," Lincoln said.

"You do...but this is a different kind of party," Chifuyu approached him, "a week-long one."

"Ohh...oh, yeah, I guess that would-"

"Come on, bro," Lynn punched his shoulder, "We won't see you again in a long time. At least try to act like it's friggin' insane."

"But it still feels so bizarre, though."

"Hey," Luna patted him, "If push starts shoving, we'll hold down the fort, no problem."

"Besides, we'll be in constant communication with each other," Rita said, "You're never really gone."

"Heheh, ok," Lincoln smiled, "I'll be in touch. And we'll have each other's blessings."

"Soopah HEROOOOOO!" Lily shouted, and everyone cheered.

"Alright, now we just need to kick this party off properly," Luan said, "but how?"

"I do," Chifuyu gave her a camera, "Just need one more interview with him."

"Really?" Lincoln cocked his head, "What else could there be?"

"Well," Chifuyu walked everyone over to him, "your family is still pretty shook by everything that's happened in the past three days."

"And they do need your blessing to call the threads tight," Maya said.

"Yeah..." Leni muttered, "We didn't get any sleep over that..."

"I have to deal with some big issues, too!" Lola said, "And we thought...maybe you could help work them out."

"And I wanna give you some tunes to send you off with," Luna said.

Lincoln flat out didn't know what to say, so he turned to Lori for any advice she could offer.

"Hey, it's just advice," Lori told him, "Not like you have to follow through."

Lincoln smiled. Of all the things he wanted to do, dropping off the bad luck baggage at the ends of existence was at the top of his list. He gave one quick thought to his family's actions and words.

_Finally...the cycle can stop..._

"Ok," he got everyone in a big hug, "I forgive you."

He was able to let it go. At the cost of one more apology from every single person, including Lily, Maya, and Chifuyu. But Lynn couldn't bring herself to apologize for five minutes straight, so they had to settle with a five minute hug.

At the end of it, Chifuyu sat him on the couch, "Ok, are you ready to continue with the interview?"

"Yeah, I'm ready."

"Alright...has your decision to attend changed?"

"No," Lincoln said.

"Has your decision been influenced in any way?"

"No."

"And, last one...have any of your reasons changed?"

Lincoln looked at his family, who all just looked on with curiosity. Then he turned back to Chifuyu, "Heheh...I'm gonna have to delete a reason."

"Incredible..." Maya whispered, "To think he's this resilient..."

"Who's the one teaching whom?..." Chifuyu felt embarrassed. She regained her composure after hearing everyone giggle, "Ok! Anyway..." She stood up and extended her hand, "Lincoln Loud, on behalf of the IS World Community, it is my honor and privilege to welcome you to the IS Academy Class of 20XX. Congratulations on your acceptance."

"Glad to be a part of it all," Lincoln shook her hand, and his family cheered.

The next week was all merriment. Bobby, Ronnie Anne, and Clyde joined the weeklong family block party, and all the activities that came with it. Several people heard the joyful noise and joined in on the fun, provided they surrender five bucks to Lola for a ride around town. Luna and Luan spent time recording two songs, while Lynn and Lana provided the necessary roughness to make the games exciting. Chifuyu and Maya stopped by daily to get a feel for the family antics, and to give Lori and Leni the "younger sibling" experience. Everyone else, including Lincoln, made this week the most fulfilling week of their lives. The day before departure, Lori took the remaining siblings around town for a shopping spree. The night before departure, the entire family had a big hurrah in the park, with the entire Royal Woods staff.

Finally, the morning came. Everyone gathered at the airport for one final goodbye.

"Did you pack your clothes? Toothpaste and brush? Extra undies?"

"Mom! I'll be fine!" Lincoln assured her, "I'm not gone forever."

"I know, but still," Rita gave him a hug, "I don't want you to be without the best."

"I'll make it back home by December. Promise."

Meanwhile, Lynn Sr. and Lori were conversing with Chifuyu.

"I can't thank you enough for looking after him," Lynn Sr. said, "It sure feels weird saying that, but... I owe you."

"Don't worry, Mr. Loud," Chifuyu said, "He's under the protection of the best pilots in the world. We won't let anything happen to him."

"And if something does happen to him," Lori said, "remember, he's a fighter."

Lynn Sr. gulped, "That's even scarier."

Chifuyu and Lori laughed.

"Hey, bro," Luna handed Lincoln a flash drive, "Here's the songs I...would've put more into, but..."

"Yeah, I know. Can't rush these things."

"I just remade both tunes with my own little spin on things," Luna ranted, "But I had to have Luan sing the first song! Her natural voice was just right for it!"

"And I regret it," Luan said, "That song was so cheesy, I could make a whole months worth of Mac and Cheese! Just that one song!" She laughed when Lincoln laughed.

"The second one..." Luna scratched her head, "I did my best. Just know that the very last line will make no sense whatsoever."

"I couldn't ask for anything else," Lincoln hugged them both.

"You think you'll be able to stop by again?" Leni asked Maya.

"Probably not, but you're always welcome to stop by our place," Maya said, "Plenty of fashion boutiques in Shibuya."

"Hihihiiiii!" Leni hugged her, "I'm looking forward to it!"

"Heheh...ok, easy, girl..."

After Lincoln went through Lily, Lisa, Lucy, Lana, and Lola, he finally came to Lynn.

"Well...this is it..." Lynn said to him.

"Yeah. I'm still at a loss for words. But we can finally put it behind us, right?"

"Especially since I got the softball championship series next week! I know I'm gonna smoke them! And I don't need no stinking voodoo luck this time!"

"Good to hear!" Lincoln highfived her, "Though I actually might."

"Haha, getting cold feet already?"

"As if!" Lincoln laughed with her. Then, he cracked his neck, "But, seriously... I need all the help I can get this time."

"Hey, you're always the Man with the Plan!" Lynn slapped his shoulder, "You'll find a way! You always do."

"Lynn!" Rita called, "It's time to go!"

"Oh my..." Lincoln said.

"Yep...we need to let loose," Lori nudged them, "Wrap this up. We gotta go wrote things get too sappy."

"Right!" Lynn said, "Well, I'll see you when I see you."

"Same here," Lincoln said, "Wish me luck."

They had a brief handshake and closed with a hug.

"I'm not gonna stop apologizing, you hear?" She whispered in his ear before separating hands and walking back to the van.

"And I won't stop forgiving," Lincoln waved to the family slowly driving away from the airport.

One hour later, the nonstop flight bound for Narita Airport had left Michigan. Lincoln had been staring out the window.

"You doing ok, traffic cone?" Maya asked.

"Yeah," Lincoln said, "But...everything's changing. I wonder how everyone back home will be able to move forward."

"They'll find a way. They always do."

"Hehe, thanks, Maya."

"Ok, here's OJ for Lincoln," Chifuyu tossed them their drinks, "and sweet tea for Maya."

"Oh, thanks," they both caught their beverages and drank. But Lincoln reacted gleefully, whereas Maya...

"Oh...Ugh...Chi...what did you do?!"

...had to empty out her large intestines, "What did you do?!"

"Laxatives," Chifuyu smirked, "Payback for blackmailing me at the game."

"What is wrong with youuuUUUUU~~~"

When they landed in Japan, the staff headed back to the Academy, while Lincoln was given a small tour of the local area before being driven to the Orimura residence.

"This is the place," Maya said, "You'll stay here until the school year officially begins."

"You still have some stuff to work out?" Lincoln asked.

"Plenty," Chifuyu unloaded the taxi, "You go on in. He's waiting for you."

Lincoln rolled his suitcases inside. When he opened the door, he noticed something familiar about the house.

"Hello there!" He heard a male teenager call to him, "How do you do?"

"Oh! Uh, fine! And yourself?"

"I'm good, thanks. I'm Ichika Orimura."

"My name is Lincoln Loud."

"No way! My sister told me all about you!"

"Really? What'd she say?"

"A mouthful. She said you had to deal with ten sisters!"

"Oh, that's just a slice of the chaotic life we have to balance. What about your sister being the strongest pilot in the world?"

"It comes with its own set of annoyances, like how the media won't even give you the privacy to empty your bladder."

"It's that bad?..."

"Being a guy that can use a girl's weapon makes it worse!"

And the two boys just kept up the conversation while carrying Lincoln's stuff to his temporary room.

And Chifuyu and Maya heard it from the front door.

"A new world, indeed," Maya whispered.

"I think he'll be alright here," Chifuyu nodded.

"But I won't...Gotta go again..."

"Seriously?! Ugh...ten minutes!"

Maya ran inside, "I NEED THIRTYYYYYYYYYYYYY-" -SLAM!-

"No, really. Where is this going?..." Chifuyu mumbled as she started to prepare for the upcoming year.

Some time has passed, and Lincoln had begun to feel like he was part of an extended family. He was already spending time with them, exploring the neighborhood around them, and even getting to know some of the locals. The most fun he had, oddly enough, was at a government building. With so many eyes peering at him, he almost felt like a celebrity.

Three days before school started, he received his first video call from home.

From Lynn, "Hey, Dude! How's it hanging?"

"Hanging pretty swell!" Lincoln responded, "I watch that grand slam you pulled off a week ago!"

"I couldn't believe it myself! That game 7 was bug nuts until Margo planned everything out. Not only did we win, we're now the team to beat going into the state league!"

"I can feeeeeeel the pressurrrrrrrrre..."

"Can it, low brow!" She laughed, "Is that guy giving you a hard time?"

"Actually, quite the opposite..."

**—(BEGIN FLASHBACK)—**

For all the antics the Loud House had to endure, none were at the degree of outofplaceness of a recent event. Two days ago, Chifuyu asked Ichika to prepare dinner.

"What'cha making?" Lincoln asked.

"A classic," Ichika said, "Miso Chashu Pork ramen...but the broth is killing me right now."

"Maybe I can help?"

"Yeah, thanks!" Ichika gave him a footstool and the ladle, "Just keep skimming for like a minute or so, until it's time to add the inners."

"Right," Lincoln watched the soup while Ichika went to the noodles, "So, does it get lonely being by yourself?"

"Sometimes, yeah. Thankfully, there's plenty of stuff around town to keep me busy."

But that one line cost Ichika his concentration. He wasn't watching when the noodles slipped off the basket. They splashed in the pot, causing the hot water to strike at Lincoln's back.

"YOWCH!" Lincoln flinched, causing him to drop ladle, and splash some hot broth on Ichika.

"HOLY monkey..."

"Ah, sorry about that!"

"No, it's my bad..."

And that...somehow flipped both their switches.

"So...what goes on in a day?" Ichika asked.

"Uh...playfights?" Lincoln answered, "A lot of playfights..."

That night, Chifuyu came home to blaring rock medleys. "Uh oh...I knew this was gonna happen." She heard the music from outside the yard. When she opened the front door, "...oh my." the house was an absolute wreck. None of the furniture was broken, but messed with. And the speakers were set to 12 to accompany the ongoing struggle between Ichika and Lincoln, who hopped over the railing while dodging silverware like he was in the Matrix. Lincoln landed on the table, but rolled away in time to avoid Ichika's Axe Kick, which broke the table. The two swung pillows at each other.

"You got some nerve walking into my territory, Ace!" Ichika screamed.

"My obligations don't end at the borders of my city, Silver Samurai!" Lincoln responded.

Chifuyu wanted to join in, but she knew that there was business to take care of, and there's always another play time in the future. So, she did the sensible thing and called them to attention. She unplugged the speakers.

The music...and the hooligans...stopped.

Lincoln suddenly became unhinged, "Uhhhh...did you invite anyone over?"

Ichika started sweating, "Everyone I know is out of town..."

Two minutes later, the two were forced to clean up the entire house while Chifuyu cooked dinner. And they wouldn't be allowed to eat until the place was spotless.

They smelled a pleasant aroma that overpowered their senses.

"That smells good, Chifuyu-nee!" Ichika piped.

"Is that Kung Pow Chicken?!" Lincoln asked excitedly.

"Clean up or shut up," she growled.

They whimpered and went back to cleaning.

**—(END FLASHBACK)—**

"That woman's Lori 2.0..." Lincoln murmured, "She could kill you with just her eyes..."

"And she's gonna be your homeroom teacher?!" Lynn said, "That has to suck hard."

"Hey, what's worse than fifteen kids and one teacher ganging up on you for having ten siblings?" He quipped.

"True. A couple of your old classmates just _now_ got the nerve to talk to you about that. I told them to go swim over to you!"

"Hahaha! That's...Boy, I needed that."

"Really? Dang, you're building some major cojones, aren't ya?"

"I'm about to go into high school...in a land where everyone is over expressive. Gotta toughen up somehow."

"I heard you also needed to smarten up?"

"Look at this...it's the reference book for the Infinite Stratos. I got it the instant I stepped off the plane. I just finished it."

"BLUGH...you couldn't pay me a hundred trillion dollars to read that thing!"

"I guess that's why I'm reading it!"

"Hahahaaa...ok, Lincoln! I gotta get going."

"Ok. See you soon, Lynn!" Lincoln disconnected.

Ichika knocked on his door, "Hey, Lincoln. You busy?"

"Nope," Lincoln turned to him, "What's up?"

"Just wanted to see if you wanna walk."

The two male pilots ended up walking all night in the local park, enjoying the serene peace and gentle wind for what could be their last time.

"Damn..." Ichika said, "In mere hours, we won't be kids anymore. We'll be pilots."

"Yeah...scary. Say, Ichika?"

"Hm?"

"Are you hopeful for anything?"

"Well...gee, I dunno. That one night Chifuyu-nee finally came home, and...she was mad, then she made an even bigger ruckus. That's all I wanted. Other than that... I'm more scared than hoped."

"Really? Oh, right...no guys..."

"A few, but they're just regular teachers, outnumbered by female staff 50 to 1."

"Yikes. Though... it does make it all the more exciting."

"What?! How do you figure that?"

"We're gonna be the talk of the town. Everyone and their grandma's going to want to see us in action!"

"You mean, like a superhero duo?"

"Yeah, exactly!"

"Um," Ichika wasn't sure on what to make of that, "can I see your IS?"

"Sure," Lincoln deployed his IS in less than a second.

"Yeah, that explains it." Ichika laughed.

"Explains what?"

"Nothing...just, none of the IS I saw looked so..._comic_-al? Eh?"

"Haha, good one," Lincoln recalled his IS, "but, yeah. My mind is all action-y, and they said that it reflects that."

"Really...What are the chances I'm gonna get my own companion."

Lincoln sensed a slight discomfort and quickly changed the topic, "Um...question. How'd you know about Ace Savvy?"

And Ichika was more than happy to change, "Oh, I was out for A-Con a year ago m, and then I actually met Bill Buck! That was also when I saw...our rendition of Spider-Man..."

"Oh...eeeehehehehehe..."

"Oh, don't you go down that route."

"No, just...I caught wind of Machine Bem Toothache Alligator, but all I heard was MA SHIN BEMMMMMARE YOU SO ANGRY?!"

"Hahahahaaaa! That show was simultaneously campy, edgy, cheesy, and depressing in all the wrong ways!"

And they just kept going into each other's psyches, trying to dig out as many memories as possible before they're forced to face the music.

And yet, Lincoln didn't have a single worry. In fact, he had a feeling in the back of his mind that, even with all that he's about to endure...even with all the hassles of being the youngest pilot in the world...

...he'll like it here.


	5. The Parting Gifts

TRACK 1

_(negai, mirai e Ano sora de aeru kara)_

_(Ano sora de aeru kara…)_

_(Luan takes over)_

_(The memories glide past my gentle hands. The stories I share, passing fast before my eyes, always to light the fire inside me.)_

_(The feel of your warmth rushing through my hair, your spirited voice dancing in the wind, reminds me of the pain you would keep forcing on yourself. It makes me think...)_

_(...as I reach out for your hand, of our dream to fly away to a place where we can be.)_

_(I'll always sing)_

_(LA LA LA!)_

_(Fly faster!)_

_(LA LA LA!)_

_(I wish you were the wind in my wings, swaying past the horizon, guiding me to the stars.)_

_(Till then, I sing)_

_(LA LA LA!)_

_(Fly higher!)_

_(LA LA LA!)_

_(I'll always follow you to the end, through the joy and the suffering.)_

_(I'll brave the storm and be with you on the other side.)_

TRACK 2

_(Everyday, they always say to me, "This is so cool!")_

_(They never see the struggles. The surface of the pain we cause, but that's just me.)_

_(Underneath the punching, underneath the cries, I rise to light the fire inside you.)_

_(Maybe 'cuz I'm trusting , but when I see you suffering, I come)_

_(BURSTING THROUGH THE VEIL!)_

_(I'm the lighting rod that defies the vengeance over the skies.)_

_(TIME TO FIGHT ON! GET THE FIGHT ON! CAN YOU FIGHT ON?!)_

_(Can you, through the torture, carve your love with empathy?)_

_(WATCH ME NOW! I'LL SHOW YOU HOW!)_

_(Surge your feelings forward and strike with all your heart.)_

_(TIME TO FIGHT ON! GET THE FIGHT ON! I CAN FIGHT ON!)_

_(Brave the storm and leave your mark, and I'll be waiting on the other side)_

_(because we are friends.)_


	6. Almost All My Classmates Are Female!

"Oh, crud..."

Morning. 08:30 local time. IS Academy, first day of school. Homeroom period, extended to one hour and five minutes.

"This is-*GULP*..."

30 students all accounted for. Two special individuals, seated in the first two seats of the center row.

"I didn't plan for this..."

Sweating from the tense silence of the moment. Not even a childhood friend, of whom one of the students was well acquainted with, would bother to ease the tense atmosphere.

"This is way, way harder than I expected..."

To the innocent bystander looking from the outside in, it seemed like all students were attentive, waiting for the teacher to make her presence known. But Ichika and Lincoln knew better. All eyes were on them.

The silence was only broken by an automated door letting in a familiar green-haired mild-mannered woman, of whom Lincoln could not ask for deliverance due to the nature of her job.

"Congratulations on making it to the school," she said, "I'm your first year sub homeroom teacher, Miss Maya Yamada."

No reaction whatsoever.

Maya stuttered a little before regaining control of herself, "Uh, starting today, you are now all students of the IS Academy. As you know, this is a boarding school. Students are together during and after school hours, so I hope you'll get along and help each other, making the next three years enjoyable!"

Both boys had the exact same thought, 'Uh, yes, yes, no, and no.'

Maya was nearly flustered, "Uh-I-w-moving on to self introductions! Now, why don't we~~~"

"Ichika..." Lincoln whispered, "Help..."

"I don't know..." Ichika turned to his left, "Uh...Houki?!..."

The girl with the green ribbon looked away.

'Guh...is that how you treat your childhood friend who you haven't seen in six years?...' Ichika turned to Lincoln, "No good..."

"Oh no..." Lincoln freaked, "what do I do?!..."

"Hello! Lincoln Loud!" Maya snapped him out-

"AAA! PRESENT AND ACCOUNT-uh..." He got a big laugh out of all but 2 female students, "Wwwwhat just happened?"

"Ah, so sorry for calling you out just now! But we're doing our introductions by alphabetical order," Maya called, "We started with the A's, and now we're up to the L's, so...would you mind introducing yourself? Pretty please?"

"Easy with the sorry, geez..." Lincoln backed away, accidentally bumping into the desk behind him, "Whoa, I didn't-*GASP*..."

This time, all eyes...all curious, piercing, lovingly predatory eyes...penetrated him.

"Uh...m...my name is Lincoln Loud..." he was about to go under the surface until he heard Ichika whisper,

"Family..."

"Huh?"

"Talk about your family..."

"Uh-Right..." Lincoln then addressed the classroom, "and I come from a family of 13. I have ten sisters. We li-" he stopped when he saw glitter in their eyes.

And then the girls went nuts:

"AAAAA! It really is him!"

"You looked so cool fighting like that!"

"He's so adorable!"

"Ten sisters?! You are so lucky!"

"I wanna be his sidekick!"

"Dangit..." he muttered, "Dude, they know!"

"Crap, then they saw my profile, too!" Ichika panicked.

Lincoln slumped back into his seat, "That's it for my introduction..."

"Well, then we can move on to the next student," Maya checked her roster, "which is...Ichika!"

"EEK-uh...sure..." Ichika slowly stood himself up, "Um...my name is Ichika Orimura...Nice to meet you all-GUH..." he received and even more intense leer when he mentioned his last name, "Uh...that...and, you heard that correctly!... I have one sister...who's the Brunhilde-"

Not again-

"I knew it! That's her brother!"

THAT'S TWO SUPERHEROES IN OUR CLASS! AAAAAAAAA!"

"Our very own Dynamic Duo!"

"Dyna-what?!" Ichika stammered, "Wait-what did I say-AGH!" He was suddenly knocked into his desk.

"Yipe!" Lincoln hopped over his desk, "You ok, man?!"

"I think s..." Ichika looked up, "SIS?!" And they were both promptly hammered on their heads.

"Why me..." Lincoln groaned.

"You will call me Miss Orimura at school," Chifuyu demanded.

"Oh, you're back!" Maya greeted, "Does that mean the meeting's over already?"

"That's right, Miss Yamada," Chifuyu took her place at the front, "I'm sorry about making you welcome my class for me."

"What...she really does teach here?..." Ichika was amazed.

"Yeah, I told you last week," Lincoln whispered.

"I thought you were just making that u-"

"Quiet at the front," Chifuyu ordered, to which the two had to obey. After they settled down, she addressed the rest of the class, "Alright, class! I'm your homeroom teacher, Miss Chifuyu Orimura! It's my job to~~~"

Lincoln zoned out and watched the other students, who were showing dangerous signs of ecstatic bursting. "Psst," he whispered to Ichika, "cover your ears."

"Why?"

"Just do it!"

They were wise to do so, because halfway through Chifuyu's introduction-

"AAAAAAAA!" The girls let out their...admiration?

"LADY CHIFUYU! THAT'S REALLY LADY CHIFUYU!"

"THE WOMAN WHO INSPIRED ME TO COME TO THIS SCHOOL!"

"SHE'S SO INCREDIBLE! I WOULD DIE FOR HER!"

"Is it safe?" Lincoln asked.

"I think so..." Ichika muttered, and they both unplugged their ears.

Chifuyu groaned, "I'm amazed at how many nut jobs come to this school every year...Do they put all the loonies in my class on purpose?"

"YES, LADY CHIFUYU! SCOLD US MORE! **CUSS US OUT!**"

"Not safe!" Lincoln quickly replugged his ears.

"TRAIN US SO WE DON'T MISBEHAVE!"

"My ears..." Lincoln muttered.

"My big sister is my homeroom teacher?..." Ichika still didn't comprehend the situation.

"So," Chifuyu crunched her knuckles, making both boys flinch, "have the instructions regarding addressing your instructor not taken yet?"

"Uh-I-" Ichika felt a tug in his back.

"Just go with it..." Lincoln whispered.

"Uh..." they both relented, "Yes...Miss Orimura..."

"Orimura! Then that means!..."

"Chifuyu's little brother! He's here with u-"

"That's enough!" Chifuyu called the class to attention, "Your syllabus for the next six months begins with memorizing all data concerning the IS. After that, practical training, where you'll have two weeks to master the basic maneuvers. So, have you got that? Even if you don't, say 'Yes, ma'am'!"

"YES, MA'AM!"

The next class was simply an introduction into the world of the Infinite Stratos. Lincoln could keep up with the lecture, but when he asked why the plans for use in space were put on hold, no one could give him a straight answer, and Maya said that that was a topic for next month. He was tempted to ask what the point of the IS was if it was solely just a tool to brag to other countries until he saw how they were being used in the real world outside of competition. He didn't know whether to feel scared or relieved...or disappointed.

The first break came. The students were fantasizing on about how the world's first male pilot lived together with the world's youngest pilot. Ichika was still at unease after not being able to communicate with Houki.

But Lincoln...

"They virtually canned space travel!" ...had more pressing concerns, "All for "sport and competition"...How backwards is that?!"

"Yeah...pretty messed up..." Ichika couldn't stop looking at the eyes.

"Now, I see why everyone keeps bragging about the IS. It's all this 'advanced technology' stuff that they wasted on cannons and giant guns and-"

"Ahem."

Houki came up to them and interrupted his rant.

"Can I talk to Ichika for a minute?..." she asked while looking away from him.

"Sorry, Linc..." Ichika got up, "I gotta take this."

"Oh, ok..." Lincoln waved, "See you...in...class..." he was now alone against the wall of girls, "Uh...hi?..."

They giggled.

And he...was interested, too, "Huh...maybe this won't be so bad..." he left his seat and walked over to the girls, "Uh, hi. Nice to meet all of you."

"Hihi, Nice to meet you too, Lincoln!"

"Wait...how'd you know my name?"

"Duh!" Another girl showed him a paper, "You and Ichika were all over the news! The brother of the Brunhilde, and the Hero of Royal Woods!"

"Speaking of, is it true that you have ten sisters?!"

"Oh, believe me," Lincoln said, "It's not as glamorous as it sounds."

"Well, your sisters must be a handful to deal with, huh?"

"Yeah, but I'm the middle child, so I got workarounds," Lincoln turned his brain off and counted the number of people in the hallway, "but then I come to Japan, and I find out I have to look after 30 of you, with the same age and-"

"Did you hear that?!" A girl squealed, "We're sisters to him!"

"Wait, I wanna be the older sibling!"

"Oh! Can I be your younger sister?!"

"No, that's not-" Lincoln realized too late the damage he had done, "What I meant to say was-"

"Aw, I like you already!"

"I hope we can get along with each other!"

"I'll see you after class, _little brother_!"

And that was when the bell rang to resume class. Lincoln walked back to his seat, and covered his head with a notebook.

The day progressed. Another class was basic components of the IS...only with unusually detailed information about those components. Lincoln was struggling to understand some of the content, but nowhere near the degree of Ichika, who couldn't understand any of it. Lincoln his behind his textbook while he heard Chifuyu clock her brother in the head for trashing a book he was supposed to read. And yet, he felt a burning sensation in the back of his neck, as if someone was watching both of them the whole way through.

Another break came. The two boys were talking about the book.

"How'd you trash it?" Lincoln asked, "It said "REQUIRED READING" in giant bold yellow letters."

"It must've been in that bag I asked you to throw out..." Ichika mused.

Suddenly, a blonde British girl approached them, "May I have a moment?"

The boys went "Huh?..."

"Wha!...what sort of response is that?!" She retaliated, "You should be honored that I bothered speaking to you in the first place! Don't you think you two should behave in a more appropriate manner?!"

"Look, I'm sorry," Ichika said, "but I don't know who you are, ok?"

"Ah! How can you not know?!" She slammed her hands on his desk, "Surely, your younger companion must have at least heard of me!"

"Uhhh...Nothing..." Lincoln said.

"You don't know either?!" She rambled on, "I'm Cecilia Alcott! England's Representative Contender! The one who scored highest on the-"

"Ok, Whoa! Hold on a sec!" Lincoln slowed her down.

"We have something to ask you..." Ichika said.

"Oh? Well, it _is_ the responsibility of nobles to address the concerns of the lower class," Cecilia smugly smirked, "Do go ahead."

Lincoln thought before saying to Cecilia, "Ok, you said you're a Representative Contender."

"But this is the first we've heard of it," Ichika finished, "What's that even mean?"

Literally everyone collapsed, as if they heard a pair of village idiots just make the wrong signal.

"Overly expressive much?..." Lincoln observed.

"What was I saying again?..." Ichika whispered.

"Oh, the sheer agony!" Cecilia reacted, "I can only hope that every man of your stature is not this utterly devoid~~~"

"Yep," Lincoln grumbled, "Lola 2.0..."

They took the full brunt of her long-winded, self-heightening explanation of a Rep Contender, how she was the elite of the elite for actually defeating an instructor...and how she was insulted by Ichika's simple maneuver to let an exam proctor crash into a wall, making his exam the fastest pass in the Academy's history.

When the first day was over, Lincoln made a mad dash to his dorm room. Lori had woken up early to prepare for her first day back at school.

"Yeesh!" Lori said through the webcam, "and I thought Lola had the case of the mirror mirror look sees."

"Ohoho, Lola is a _Good Samaritan _compared to that Alcott woman!" Lincoln griped, "She keeps going on about how lucky we were to be in her presence. I don't know how she wasn't singing praises to the high sky about her own greatness!"

"Well, tell her not to hold her breath," Lori said, "She has to let out all that hot air soon. Then, we can get a nice pat on her back."

"Haha, funny thing is, she has your look."

"And that long...long...way too long hair. She literally curled her hair to look like drills."

-KNOCK-KNOCK-

"Oh! That's my roommate!" Lincoln hurried and opened the door.

"Oh good thanks..." Ichika plowed through him and locked the door, "Guh...I cannot relax around these girls...

"What did they do now?..." Lincoln asked.

"I don't know. All I did was ask where Houki went, and they just-"

"Hello?" Lori called over, "Is He your roommate?"

"Ah, Yeah!" Lincoln scooted them over to the laptop, "Ichika, this is my oldest sister, Lori."

"Oh, uh...pleased to meet you, Miss Loud," Ichika bowed.

"Hmhmhmhm, you don't have to be so modest," Lori waved her hand, "but maybe you could drill some of those manners into Linky-dink over there."

"Ok, Miss Bosswoman," Lincoln joked, "We've gotta go!"

"Fine, fine," Lori ended, "Take care, Lincoln."

"So, she's the oldest, huh?" Ichika commented.

"Yep. Also has a boyfriend."

"Figured as much. Hey, wanna hang out for a little bit?"

"Sounds Good! As long as we come back to get our homework done."

Ichika grabbed the door, "Don't worry, Grandpa. I'll be sure to-"

The moment he opened the door, they were confronted with a swarm of girls.

"Hey, it's Orimura!"

"And there's that cute little Loud!"

"1025! That's their room number!"

"That's a good thing to know, right, girls?"

"The perfect combination of toughness and charm!"

They slammed and locked the door.

"I'm gonna go prep to find Houki..." Ichika went back to the closet.

"And I'm gonna ask Lisa to make a cheat sheet for the both of us," Lincoln went back to the pantry and searched for any instant ramen packs.

Lincoln spent the rest of the day studying whatever he covered in class and Ichika tried to reconnect with his friend, but they didn't have very much progress. After 22:30, they called it in and went to bed. But the adrenaline was still pumping through them, preventing them from sleeping.

"Psst...Lincoln..."

"Yeah?"

"How's your first day?"

"It's overwhelming, but... I think I can make it."

"Yeah. Chifuyu-nee says the first week is always the worst. It'll get easier from here."

"Hope so...um, who was that girl with the green ribbon that dragged you away?"

"Oh, that's Houki Shinonono. She has a complicated past."

"Like, how complicated?"

"Her sister's the creator of the IS. The robot super suit?"

"Ohhhhhh...that complicated."

"Yeah. It's been six years since I last saw her...after she'd been taken into hiding."

"Dang...must've been some serious secrets to hide..."

And they really couldn't sleep with her backstory swimming around their heads.

The next morning, they were dragging their feet to the cafeteria. Ichika saw Houki and nudged Lincoln to sit with the two of them.

"Um...good morning, Houki," Lincoln said.

"Oh, hello," Houki responded.

"Morning, Houki," Ichika said...

"I told you not to use my first name..." to no response...

"Psst...Houki? Hello?...Are you mad at me?"

"I am not mad," she said.

"Then, why are you wearing the "mad" face?"

"Get used to it."

Ichika took a bite out of his breakfast, "Hey, this stuff is delicious!"

"Ooh, can I try it?" Lincoln asked.

"Top corner," Ichika allowed Lincoln to sample a bite before turning to Houki once again, "Hey, Houki. Do you think-"

She slammed her tray, "Don't use my name!"

"BUH-" Lincoln spat out his mouthful.

Ichika sighed, "Oh..._Miss_ Shinonono..."

"Yep...she mad..." Lincoln whispered before hearing someone call to them.

"Orimura? Loud? May we sit next to you?" One of the girls asked.

"Uh, we don't mind," Lincoln said.

"Go on and take a seat," Ichika welcomed them.

The girls situated themselves while the boys continued to chow down.

"Wow," a girl in yellow pajamas said, "You two must really eat a lot."

"Well, you know what they say about growth spurts," Lincoln joked.

"Actually," Ichika looked at the girls' trays, "I was gonna ask if that's all you're eating."

"Oh, uh, I think we'll be ok!"

"We brought a lot of snacks, so it's all good!"

Houki got up, "I think I'll excuse myself now..."

Lincoln followed her, "Ah...I'll come with!"

Houki saw him out the cafeteria, "I don't need any company."

"Maybe you need help with your stuff, or your bamboo blades?"

Houki stopped, "Huh?! How'd you know about those?!"

"Eek!" Lincoln was on damage control mode... and he might have made it worse, "Uh...me and Ichika were...talking about you?...last night?..."

"R...really?" Houki blushed, "I mean...he couldn't be that talkative, right?"

"No, he just told me the basics. Kendo, childhood...and how the past is all a blur to him."

"Oh, that's all?..."

"Well...he did say you don't like to talk about your own sister."

"Uh..." Houki was a little more stern, "Yeah, He's right."

"Oh..." Lincoln stammered, "Uh...was she-"

Chifuyu came in and clapped to make sure everyone saw her, "Less talking and more chewing! Pilots have to eat quickly and efficiently!"

"Eh?!" Lincoln was stunned, "When did she-"

Houki pushed him back to Ichika's side, "Trust me, the less you know, the better."

"I'm the freshman dorm supervisor!" Chifuyu said, "Anyone late to class will do 10 laps around the school!"

"I'm back," Lincoln tapped, "What'd I miss?"

"Um...not much..." Ichika said, "but I do feel silly for worrying about her."

The second day of class began, and already things were moving at light speed, far too fast for them to sleep through.

"Two weeks from today," Chifuyu announced, "you'll be asked to choose your representative for the class tournament. A class representative not only competes in the tournament, but also attends student council meetings and committee~~~"

Lincoln zoned out when he heard that last bit. He could barely handle the day one class load, so he didn't want to task himself with something that Lisa would consider slightly above child's play. And don't ask about the tournament when the max he could get was five minutes-

"Ooh! I'd like to nominate Orimura!"

"Dude, I think that's a good idea!"

"Eh?!" Ichika stammered, "You Do?!"

"Well, I'll nominate Loud!"

"I'll support him with everything I have!"

Lincoln snapped back to reality, "Wait-HUH?!"

Chifuyu crossed her arms, "So, is there anyone else? If not, then they will be the candidates."

"Um, Miss Orimura?" Lincoln tried to voice his objection,

But Ichika got up first, "Hang on, what if I don't want to do it?!"

"I do not approve of this!" Cecilia shut them both down, "This type of selection is utterly unacceptable! It would be shameful to have a boy as our class representative! You can't possibly expect that I, Cecilia Alcott, should have to endure such a humiliation for an entire year!"

Lincoln knew what she was doing, and he tried to warn Ichika not to fall for it, but he played along after Cecilia threw jabs at Japanese culture. Ichika threw jabs at England's "world's worst cuisine award."

To which Cecilia simply responded, "This calls for a duel!"

And Ichika accepted, "Fine by me. It'll be easier than debating."

"Whoa!" Lincoln shouted on deaf ears, "That is not how politics work!" He tried to drown out their argument, but he caught the bit about handicaps.

"How much of a handicap will there be?"

"Oh? Are you asking me for a favor already?"

"Huh? I was wondering how much handicap I should give you."

The entire class started laughing, and then it became clear to Lincoln that this school did not operate under any set of standards other than their own. And he could've just accepted that he would be called to fight...

...if he hadn't heard:

"Men used to be stronger than women, but that was before the IS was invented!"

"People say that if men and women had a war, it wouldn't last three days!"

And that set his inner Lynn off. Rather than confront her about that claim, Lincoln chose to sneak under the desks and shimmy his way to his target. At the most opportune time, when no one paid any attention to him.

Almost. "Oh my..." Maya noticed that white tuff of hair floating past the desks while the Cecilia and Ichika continued to throw down.

When asked if he would be really nice in order to receive a handicap, "I'll pass," Ichika rejected.

"Um...you're seriously underestimating her..." a classmate said.

"Oh, posh!" Cecila gleefully taunted, "I'll be more than happy to put this deluded boy in his place!"

"No, but seriously..."

"Huh-**AAAAA**!"

Lincoln sent his steely grey eyes throughout the entire class up and scared Cecilia by getting directly behind her. Undetected. And there he stood, one arm deployed, cards at the ready.

She didn't know what he did, "Haaahahaaa...how did you-"

"You had a good hand," Lincoln said as he walked by her, "You should have kept all of it."

Ichika added to keep her wrath on himself, "Not to mention we got nominated twice, but nobody nominated you."

"GUH..." Cecilia became enraged, "Take that back, you pompous windbags!"

"No way," Ichika said, "A man never goes back on any of his words."

"I was thinking about going easy on you, Lincoln...but now I shall not stop until you two are my footstools!" Cecilia declared.

"I'll call," Lincoln retracted his IS.

Chifuyu looked on, satisfied, "It looks like that's settled, then. The competition will be staged in Arena 3, which I believe is available Monday. Orimura. Alcott. Loud. I expect you to come fully prepared for combat."

The three pilots stood locking down on each other's eyes once more before taking their seats.


	7. Pre-Battle Jitters

The day went on, and Lincoln was fully aware of what he did. He butt in. But he was nominated, so he would have been called to fight anyway. As for Ichika, the school would give him a personal IS to be used for data collection purposes, to which Cecilia was happy to launch into another arrogant tirade. They would've brushed it over, except she told them that she has a personal IS too, given to her by her government.

And somehow, they transitioned into Houki's sister, Tabane. The woman who created the Infinite Stratos was her sister, but Houki rejected, saying that she has nothing to do with her. Lincoln spent his mental energy on the rest of the morning piecing together how her relationship was soured.

"Hello? Lincoln?"

"D'ahhh! Uh," Lincoln quickly came back to the school, "Ugh, was I doing it again?..."

"Hihi, you know how cute you when you're brooding like that?" A classmate told him

"Oh...one of my bad habits," he said.

"Well, I was thinking, maybe you wanted to have lunch with me and my friend?"

"Actually," Lincoln tried to sway them away, "I was gonna lunch with I-"

"LET GO!" -BAM!-

Houki knocked Ichika down after he offered to piggyback her to lunch.

"Agh..." Ichika got back up, "You're So strong..."

"Uh, well..." Houki looked away, "Maybe _you're _the one who's gotten _weak_. That was just a little trick from my kendo training."

Lincoln figured...childhood friends who haven't seen each other in years... "Uh, Akina-san, what's for lunch?"

Fifteen minutes later... he was getting along swimmingly with the girls, "No way! You're from Korea?!"

"Yup! Pretty odd, out of a sea of Japanese girls, right?"

"Not at all! I mean, I'm having lunch with a high school senior!"

"What'd I tell you, Kim?" Akina poked, "Pretty cute, right?"

"Yeah, but he's a little on the younger side," Kim commented.

"Young?" Lincoln heard a small alarm in his head, and he heard that kind of talk before. Normally he couldn't ward them off the easy way, but since Ronnie Anne was an ocean away... "Actually, I have a girlfriend."

"You do?!" Akina squealed, "At 11?!"

"It happens!" He chuckled.

"Well, I was wondering," Kim said, "Since you're gonna go up against a Representative Contender, maybe you would want someone to train with?"

"Yeah, I'd like that," Lincoln responded.

"Good!" Kim clapped, "Well, If You'll excuse me, I'll extend the offer to Ichika." She got up and went to Ichika's table.

"For real, though!" Akina pestered, "A _girlfriend_ girlfriend?!"

"Yep! Ronnie Anne Santiago. She's all the way in Michigan."

"Aww, young love! I wish I had a boyfriend that devoted..."

"Really? I would think that you-"

"Fine!" Kim stomped away, "I guess some things can't be helped!"

"Um...is something wrong?" Lincoln asked.

"Oh, nothing," Kim reclaimed her seat, "Just a woman who's in way over her head. She's bragging about how she's Tabane Shinonono's sister."

"Wuh?..." Akina reacted, "No, literally during first period today, she just said that she wasn't her sister!"

"What is with her? How spastic can these people get?"

"Uh, what's that saying..." Lincoln interrupted, "The more complicated or darker a person's backstory is, the more powerful that person is?"

"Wait," Akina laughed, "you really think that she's as powerful?"

"Hey, Houki's a kendo champ. You never know."

After the last period was over, Lincoln and Ichika went to the locker room.

"That's a different uniform," Ichika said, "Where are you going at this hour?"

"Training with Kim Ha-Jin," Lincoln responded, "She said she knows my IS type, so she's gonna help me get used to it."

"What a coincidence! Houki's gonna train me for the class rep runoff, too!"

"Whatever happened to a simple vote..." Lincoln asked sheepishly.

"Eh, that went out the window when we entered the scene..."

"Here you two are!" Kim entered the conversation, "Sorry you couldn't train together."

"I'm sure we'll work something out," Ichika apologized.

"I'm legitimately surprised that a school like this has a Martial Arts club," Lincoln said.

"Where's this school located again?" Ichika got a good laugh out of the two.

"There you are!" Then, Houki, "You're three minutes late, Ichi-Ah!"

Houki and Kim stared each other down, much to the boys' dismay.

"And where are you going?" Houki's arm yanked Ichika toward her.

"Just taking Lincoln for a short walk," Kim grabbed Lincoln's back.

Ichika and Lincoln panicked, "Uh-oh..."

They endured after school grueling training. Ichika was trying to shake off three years of no club activities in the kendo dojo...

"Ok, what in the hell is going on here..." Houki growled after defeating Ichika five seconds into the kendo match.

"Uh...I...don't know what you mean..." He panted.

"How did you allow yourself to become so weak?! WHAT CLUBS WERE YOU IN IN MIDDLE SCHOOL?!"

"The Go Home club...three years of perfect attendance..."

"Then, you'll retrain. This problem comes _before_ the IS!"

...while Lincoln was in the gymnasium, exercising muscles he didn't know could be exercised.

"This'll be a problem," Kim said after pinning Lincoln.

"What?!" Lincoln managed to throw her off him, "I'm only 11!"

"You're not in middle school, mind you-HA!" Kim forced him off the mat, giving her the win.

"Guh..." butt cramp "AY!...st...too strong..."

"Your sister may be a capable fighter, but Cecilia is on another level. You have to be prepared for anything."

The spectators thought that they seemed kinda weak, so the boys had to take on three hours of daily training, up until the class runoff duel...effective immediately...

The first day was somewhat tolerable, but the next day they didn't bother going back to the dorms. They sprawled their legs on a park bench and panted.

"Oh my god..." Lincoln groaned, "High school is the worst..."

"Maybe I should call it off..." Ichika cracked his neck, "I might die before I get out in the arena..."

"Admitting defeat already?"

"URK!" They were jolted upright by a familiar British voice.

"Well, I'd expect no less from a rather unremarkable bore," Cecilia taunted, "but not you, little Loud."

"What'd you mean?..."

"I mean, you're supposed to be in middle school, and yet somehow you dropped the ball on yourself. You thought you could handle such a harsh difficulty leap? It's almost adorable how naive you are."

"I wouldn't be here if I didn't have the magic touch. And who are you to look down on us when you haven't got a clue what we're about?"

Then, Cecilia touched a nerve, "But I know what you're all about, though. You miss your family, don't you? High school isn't for the ill-prepared. Maybe you can go back to your family and have them comfort you."

"At least we have families," Ichika butted in, "We have people who care about us because they care, not because they're our servants."

"You presume to peck at my past without the slightest context?" Cecilia pointed.

"The only context I've seen is that you're too self-centered to see your own narcissism."

"Ha! That is just like you Japanese men, always rushing in-" she saw Lincoln "-without...using...that meat head..." she was expecting Lincoln to be concerned for his own well being.

"If we win," but he was angry, "you'll apologize in front of the girls."

"Oh?" Cecilia teased, "the classic retaliation tactic ? Are you sure you don't want any more than that?"

"No. An apology would do."

"Fair enough," she brushed the dust off her hair and went about her merry way, "Train all you want. The outcome will not change."

They waited until she was inside the residence building before getting their relief off their necks.

"Thanks for the save, Ichika..." Lincoln sighed.

"Hey, that's what friends do," Ichika patted the boy's back, "Though, she kinda does have a point..."

"What, That first bit of-"

"No, nu-uh! You do belong here, Lincoln! And your family is proud of you, let's get that right!"

"Heheh...thanks!"

Ichika stood up and tried to take their minds off her rant, "But we don't know a thing about her, apart from the obvious. We don't even know what kind of IS she has."

"Is Houki's training helping at all?"

"Nope. Kendo's all I've been doing. And I don't think she's going to teach me anything about the IS..."

Houki was taking a nighttime stroll, thinking about how she was going to make Ichika stronger. "I have to get him back to his maximum strength if he hopes to stand a chance against her. Yeah! We'll reconnect later. Making sure he doesn't get hurt is more important."

That's when she heard Lincoln scream, "That tears it! We need a plan STAT!"

"Huh?!" Houki gasped, "Lincoln? Wait, if that's Lincoln, then he's with-"

"Agreed," Ichika said, "If they're not gonna teach us about the IS, then we need to teach ourselves!"

"Ichika?!..." She whispered, "Oh, no. What are they doing?!..." she hid behind some bushes while they walked past her.

"You don't suppose the library's open this late?" Lincoln asked.

"Doubt it..." Ichika mused, "Say, Don't you have an ungodly intelligent sister?"

"Oh! Lisa's gonna shoot back an email about my IS soon! That can be our cheat sheet!"

"On top of class, homework, and that training...uy. You might actually look like a grandpa when this is all over."

"Hey, I've seen how you stumble over the most basic information!"

"Ohoho!" Ichika gave Lincoln a noogie, "Little Loud's gonna throw some stones, eh?"

The two laughed and talked their way back to the dorms. Houki then came out of hiding.

"What are they doing?" She wondered, "Are they trying to kill themselves?" She followed them to their dorm room, but she heard them laughing and bashing pixelated robots in the socket. "Oh...well, if that's all it is...I'll train him extra hard, then."

"Oh, you too?"

Houki was startled by a group of girls listening in on the noise.

"You know, if you close your eyes, it doesn't sound like they're playing a video game."

"Eee! They wouldn't do that!"

"Aha! She's blushing!"

"But is this what they call a bromance?!"

Houki wondered why she even bothered.

As time went on, the training intensified, to the point where the match nearly drowned out the friendly banter between the other girls. Ichika and Lincoln were spending lunches talking about what goes on in an IS. After school training was spent on movement and focused strikes, avoiding everything that was thrown at them. Dinners were spent on going over anything they could remember from that day, as well as anything they might use to get an advantage in the match.

And Cecilia was starting to take notice, too. For two classes she spied on them to see if they had a clue to what came out of their mouths. When she realized how serious they were, she started to get in the training vibe as well, gaining special sessions with an instructor who fought in the previous world tournament.

Two days before the match, Ichika wanted to know how it would be formatted. Lincoln was waiting at the lockers, when he saw him rounding the corner.

"So, what'd Maya say?" Lincoln asked.

"It's All randomized," Ichika said, "They'll dump our names in a virtual bowl, and the computer will pick up two pieces of paper."

"Dangit...then, the person going last will have the advantage of recon..." light bulb "...unless we can get Cecilia to go first..."

Ichika cringed, "Good lord, you are not."

After that day's training...which somehow got **worse**...the boys barely made it out the front door before they rolled over on the grass.

"Hahhh...hahhhh...I think...I made Houki angrier..."

"And Kim...is having...way... too much fun..."

And right on cue, "Oh, are you tuckered out yet?"

"Heheh..." Lincoln initiated contact, "What's wrong with a little R and R?..."

"I would lump you with the rest of the uncultured population, but I don't feel it's appropriate," Cecilia said.

"I thought you said you weren't gonna go easy on us..." Ichika sat up.

"That's not because I just so happen to see you two attempting to bridge the gap between our power," Cecilia bragged, "Don't you realize that I am a Representative Contender, one of the most powerful pilots in the world? Whereas you two are mere commoners who I could simply scoff at and blow you away into next week?"

"Since when did we roboticize DBZ?..." Lincoln groaned.

"And I'll bet you see us as a threat, right?" Ichika asked, "Is that why you're training too?"

"Training? Against you? Hahaha! Why would I ever-"

Lincoln thought he was egging on her, until he saw sweat dripping from her chin, "What's that on your chin?"

"Wha...what do you see?"

Ichika saw it too, "The beaded sweat, the slightly frizzed hair..."

"Oh, that's ridiculous!" Cecilia crossed her arms and looked away, "Why would I need to put any effort into beating you?"

The boys just gave each other puzzled looks.

"Well, since you're clearly lacking proper knowledge of one's fighting capabilities, I'll be more than happy to give you a firsthand demonstration," Cecilia turned to Lincoln, "What say you, little Loud? Care to come up close and personal?"

"Like I need another cramp in my ramp?..." Lincoln muttered.

Cecilia cheerfully put him down, "Oh, I won't have to waste too much effort on you." Then, she glared at Ichika, "You, on the other hand..."

Ichika didn't say a word. He just sat there as Cecilia walked away with her condescending leer.

"I'll properly deal with you afterwards..." and then she went away to her dorm room.

Completely missing the boys laughing and bumping fists.

"That went perfectly!" Lincoln giggled.

"How did you know how to persuade her?!" Ichika wondered.

"When you're around someone like Lola 24/7, you'll pick up on a few things."

"Nice one!" Ichika ruffled his hair, "Hey, thanks for the assist, Linc."

"That's what friends do-" crotch cramp "BOOOOOHOHOhoooooo...right in the socket..."

"Here...I'll piggy back you..."

"I can't pee or poop anymore..."

The weekend before the duel, their training was doubled to six hours, and it was moved to the early morning. This time, after training, instead of reading about the IS, they had their own practical lesson, using Lincoln as the model. He described in full detail what it was like to first fly in an IS, his mindset and emotions while fighting, and how he was able to make it his. Then, they got in some more practice, by making cardboard arms and legs and knocking away...almost every projectile they threw at each other.

Finally, the day of the duel. They've done all they could to prepare for the fight. That morning, Ichika stormed the school, feeling like a model.

Lincoln stayed in the bathroom area. He checked his teeth, then washed his face, "Ugh...I definitely feel like a grandpa..." He walked over to the classroom, where, of course, Cecilia awaited him, "Oh, hello."

"You're far too late in asking for a favor now, little Loud," Cecilia taunted.

"What? A simple hello offends you?" Lincoln took the long way around to his seat.

"I hope you and your faded brother-in-crime are prepared to suffer the consequences for challenging me," she walked back to her seat as well.

"Was she this obnoxious to you too?" Lincoln asked Ichika.

"No, she was worse."

Then, lunchtime came. Houki and Kim ate at another table, leaving the two boys to...do this.

"Ok, I've worked out a plan," Lincoln showed him the notes on a paper, " Since we're on the same team, we'll be taking turns. Whoever goes first is gonna get a good view of every angle, find any weaknesses. That'll buy the other person some time to plan an attack and nail her to her coffin."

"Sounds good. And after we win, we can finally get some decent rest," Ichika cracked his neck, "I didn't think it'd be this easy drowning out the "all girls" nonsense."

"Me neither! I think I'm getting used to this high school crud."

Suddenly, over the intercom system, "CECILIA ALCOTT. LINCOLN LOUD. ICHIKA ORIMURA. REPORT TO ARENA THREE AT THIS TIME."

"That's our cue," Lincoln crumpled up the paper and tossed it away.

"Let's go before my sister drags us by the ear..."

"Dun dun dudun dun dudun dudun duduuuuuunn..."


	8. Class Rep Runoff Duel

Afternoon 13:11. The holding area. Where the pilots who are set to do battle come to prepare to meet their maker. The area was pure metal. No light except from the control room's window above them, and the LED lights that showed them where to dock and launch. While Cecilia went to 3-3, Ichika and Lincoln went to 3-1. And Kim and Houki were waiting for them.

"Kim!" Lincoln ran to her, "What are you doing here?"

"I'm just here for emotional support," she answered, "Just...how did you convince Cecilia to take you on first?"

"Wha-uhh...well, it was easier than I thought, I'll say that much."

Houki reacted to everything Ichika did with Lincoln, "I told you! You're lack of strength came before the IS!"

"Sorry, Houki...just that all I've learned are Kendo techniques, and that's not nearly enough to beat Cecilia."

"Ugh! I can't believe you!" Houki turned away from him.

Ichika sighed and turned to the monitor, which showed Cecilia in her Blue Tears standing on the arena floor, "So, that's her personal IS..."

"Sniper rifle," Kim said, "Long range."

"That can't be all," Lincoln said, "There has to be more to her than just a gun..."

"Loud," Chifuyu commed over the speaker, "You're first."

"Huh? What about the lottery?"

"Orimura's IS has just entered school grounds, but Cecilia requested to take the initiative. That'll give us time to run diagnostics and properly fit the IS. So, the format has been determined; the winner of this match will go on to fight Ichika."

"Huh," Ichika whispered, "It worked."

"What was that?" Houki asked.

"Nothing..."

"Also, you'll find an accessory customized for your IS's standby form," Maya added, "Please attach it to the belt buckle."

"Uh, this one..." Lincoln grabbed the badge and put it to his IS belt.

SAVVY SUITE (SHIELD 100%[137%])

"Whoa..." Lincoln exclaimed, "What happened?"

"That's a handicap on you," Maya explained, "Your shield energy is currently the highest of all the 3rd Generation models, due to the nature of your IS and it's One-Off Ability. Therefore, to ensure a fair fight, we're gonna have you wear it to reduce your shield reading only. Once your actual shield energy gets down to just under 40%, that'll be it for you."

"Huh. What's Cecilia's shield read?"

Just then, another screen popped up:

CECILIA ALCOTT (15) - BLUE TEARS (SHIELD 90%)

"Oh...the irony..." Lincoln couldn't help but smirk.

"The Blue Tears shielding is slightly less capable compared to the current Gen3 models," Maya said, "but it more than makes up for it due to its defensive nature and long-range effectiveness...but, consider that a tongue-in-cheek 'don't tell her', shall we say?"

Lincoln nodded, then stepped out to the edge of the launch pad overlooking the entire arena. "Well...I'm off."

"Knock 'em dead, tiger!" Kim cheered.

"Good luck, Linc," Ichika said while Houki remained silent.

Lincoln scanned the arena. Only one section of the stands was packed, but it was the section that would no doubt have the most eyes on him. Right in the middle was Cecilia. Staring him down as well, with the same steely blue eyes.

He drew in a big breath, then slammed his fists together, "Time to deal out some justice!" On command, he was enveloped in a bright light, where he donned his gauntlets, leg guards, body armor, his cape-like wing units, and finally, his black 3-D display visor. When the light disappeared, he was in his IS, striking his signature pose, five card bombs at the ready.

"Well well," Cecilia taunted, "someone's eager to get trounced in the worst way possible."

"Oh? And what could be worse than the poker face you're giving me?" Lincoln said.

"Please. I feel sorry that someone so young would have to endure such a horrible fight. Why don't I just give you a free one right now? Go on, little Loud. I'm right here."

"Well..." To Cecilia's horror, Lincoln fully unfolded his hand and revealed 15 cards, "...if you insist."

Lincoln threw the cards, then flew in right behind them. Cecilia's wings released four drones that flew out and fired at the cards, causing a massive puff of smoke to erupt. Lincoln emerged and grabbed her rifle.

"Pick a card!" He rammed her, then flung as many cards as he could at her, then got around to her back, "Pick'em all!" While he was disorienting her with numerous card bombs, he was scanning every inch of her IS to see if there were any hidden surprises he has to watch for. He did find something hidden in her legs, but he couldn't tell what they were. And he already saw something pop out of her wing units. He flew above her and momentarily saw her drones coming back towards them, yet he didn't see her use her rifle yet.

"52 CARD PICKUP!" He slammed her with the remaining combo while taking the full force of her wing drones. Once the special attack was finished, he landed on the ground and checked the shielding:

SAVVY SUITE - SHIELD 77/100%

BLUE TEARS - SHIELD 73/90%

"Oh, that's not a good..." his 52-hit combo didn't do as much damage against her as it did against Maya. And he suffered more damage from just 15 drone laser blasts, "That is not a good."

Cecilia steadied herself above him and dusted her arms, "I must say, I'm quite surprised. I didn't think you could ever touch me." Then, she recalled her drones and charged her rifle, "Clearly, it was a mistake to underestimate your power. Now, you face the full might of the Blue Tears!"

She fired just one shot on Lincoln,

SAVVY SUITE - SHIELD 73/100%

and that was enough to push him all the way back against the arena wall.

SAVVY SUITE - SHIELD 60/100%

"Ugh..." Lincoln groaned, "Dude, I hope you're watch-" dodge the shots "UGH! AH! YOW! OK! KEEP! MOO! VING!"

Lincoln escaped the wall, but he didn't try to get near her, opting to circle around her and try to avoid her every shot, either by dodging or throwing a card in the line of fire.

All while Ichika was fidgeting around in the holding area.

"Uh," Houki dared, "What the heck are you doing?"

"Uh, Lynn called it shadow boxing?" Ichika grunted while moving around.

"Who's Lynn..."

"One of Lincoln's sisters."

"Shadow boxing?" Kim said, "You mean, pretending you're up there fighting her?"

"Yep," Ichika pretended he was holding a sword and knocking away as many bullets as he could.

While Lincoln had just found a blind spot and tried to rush her, but he was hit with a laser shot and missed, throwing a pair of cards she easily dodged.

"Color me surprised," Cecilia commented, "You're the first person every to last this long in an initial match against the Blue Tears, and for that I applaud you."

Lincoln didn't say anything. He just halted himself in midair and prepared to face her drones.

"But I'm afraid it's past your bedtime," Cecilia lowered her rifle and called her drones to battle, "Shall I tuck you in?!" The drones zipped towards Lincoln, firing nonstop.

"Is it too late to go to the bathroom?!" He screamed as he went on the defensive, deflecting as many shots as he could while trying to get a glimpse of Cecilia's movements. Or rather, lack of movements. She was barely moving at all. She has to focus so much of her attention on commanding the-

-BABABABAM!-

In his singular focus, Lincoln flew into a bunch of shots. Luckily, he was knocked away from the area of attack, "Y'know, doing the same special attack over and over gets boring after a while! Let's change it up!" As soon as he recovered, he cupped his hands and loaded them with the maximum capacity 52 cards and bounced back into the fray.

"What are you-AGH!" Cecilia got hit with a random card.

"Aha..." Lincoln held his deck and flung his cards out rapid fire, while keeping an eye on the drones. Both he and Cecilia got hit plenty of times, but he found and capitalized on several opportunities to close the distance and get a kick or an elbow in. Two kicks he hit. The rest he was pushed away by the rifle.

It was when Lincoln made one last charge that the battle was decided. He rushed in one last time, materializing his last deck and throwing it at the drones while charging right into Cecilia's line of fire. Cecilia had to divert her attention away from her drones to her rifle. She fired her shot when he was a few feet away.

And yet, he wasn't the one who was hit.

Out of thin air, a young girl appeared and took the shot for him. At first, Cecilia was appalled that she shot a fellow woman younger than her. Yet, this ponytail brunette did not look the least bit pained. Or bruised. In fact, the girl was doing the eye-pull-tongue-diss. Cecilia couldn't figure out what was happening, until she saw a heel come down. She blocked it with her rifle, but she didn't see a fully loaded barbell swing at her side. That opened her up to a blitz attack.

"Two of a kind!"

Lincoln and the girl took turns hitting Cecilia until she was touching the ground.

"Double trouble!"

The girl pushed Cecilia back, and right into Lincoln's punch.

"PAIR OF CLUBS!" They clocked her upside the shoulders, his kick and her barbell staff.

Cecilia staggered backwards from the sudden impact of the double attack. But she was even more befuddled as to how Lincoln was able to create an ally of his own design, in the middle of battle nonetheless. She saw him panting, and wondered if he even knew how he did it. Then, she saw the girl spit out some phlegm and ready her 600-pound staff.

"So, that's it..." she whispered, "It's his one-off ability..." she lowered her rifle and commanded her drones to rain down on the entire area.

"Strong Suit, take the drones!" Lincoln shouted.

"You got it, Ace!" The girl said flung her barbell in the air and kicked it towards a drone while Lincoln rushed to Cecilia's position. She was able to knock it down to ride it like a hover board and ram it into another drone.

Lincoln kept dodging shots while Strong Suit surfed the arena. When she was able to destroy the last two drones, he made a beeline right for Cecilia. He was about to land a solid kick on her...

...but she blocked it, flipped him over, and sniped him three times.

The buzzer sounded. And the referee called, "THE MATCH IS CONCLUDED. THE WINNER IS CECILIA ALCOTT."

"Guh! What?!" Lincoln recentered himself an saw the live stats:

BLUE TEARS - SHIELD 43/90%

SAVVY SUITE - SHIELD 2/100% (CRITICAL) - **LOSE**

"Dangit...After all that..." he grunted.

"Ah, who cares?" Strong Suit jumped on his shoulders, "We'll get'em next time!" before she fizzled out of existence.

"Whoa..." he just now recognized that girl who fizzled away, "Did I do that?..."

"Indeed you did," Cecilia snapped his attention to her, "It seems that you don't even know how you managed to conjure up an ally of your own choosing."

"Uh...well...that was just-" he stopped when he heard students shouting:

"Nice one, Lincoln!"

"You'll get her next time!"

"I can't believe you can fight like that!"

Despite his loss, he felt a kind of resurge in morale.

"To think you of a people would force me in a position of helplessness," Cecilia went on, "I suppose I'll have to accept it, since I emerged the eventual victor." She then floated away to her holding area, "but mark my words, little Loud! This will not be our last encounter!"

Lincoln just sighed and floated off the floor, muttering, "I'm counting on it." He made it back to area 3-C, where Kim and Ichika were there to greet him. "Hey, guys! I couldn't bring home a win this time."

"Forget the win!" Kim cheered, "You utterly demolished my expectations with that fight!"

"Man, you really are as savvy as they come," Ichika said, "But what was that girl, though? She had a gigantic barbell on her."

"Oh... I guess...wait," Lincoln looked up his IS's One-Off Ability: Deal Me In, "So, I did do that...The name of the thing should've ticked me off a long time ago..."

During the five minutes Cecilia took to finish recharging her IS, and refreshing herself, Ichika walked over to Lincoln.

And then, the exchange that befuddled and toppled everyone in the holding area. Even Chifuyu.

"Well, Lincoln? What did you find out?"

"She's definitely hiding something in her thighs-AH-uh...robot legs...my money's on rockets."

"And her drones...when they move, she doesn't, and when she moves, they don't."

"That means when you're far away she can attack. And when you get up close and personal, she can blast you outta the sky..."

"...In other words...a perfect trap."

"Are you gonna escape or endure it?"

"Well, I dunno what I got, so I'll just have to endure."

Houki and Kim clammed up.

"Maya...am I going deaf?..." Chifuyu whispered.

"Nope...I heard it too..." Maya said before she received a notification. She clicked a button to open the hatch door and reveal the newly released IS, "Orimura! Can you hear me, Orimura?! Your personal IS is ready!"

"Orimura, you'll need to get ready at once," Chifuyu said, "Lincoln's match took more time than anticipated, so you'll have to learn to make the IS yours during the fight itself. The format and fitting process will have to happen while you're fighting."

The door opened, and the platform moved the IS into the launch pad. It gave off the appearance of a watchful guardian. And it's given name implies that very same role.

"Whoa..." Lincoln and Ichika breathed.

"This is Orimura's personal IS," Maya said, "the Byakushiki!"

"Byakushiki...White Form?" Kim asked, "What's the meaning behind that name?"

"We're about to find out..." Ichika changed into his battle uniform. Then, he placed one hand on the Byakushiki and a sensation of familiarity and serenity swept through him, "Whoa...it's not like the first time I touched an IS..."

"What do you mean?" Houki asked.

"I can't really explain it, but...there's something familiar about it, like I can understand it. Like I understand what it is. Its purpose." Ichika was compelled to climb in the cockpit.

"Show you entrust your life to it," Chifuyu said over the intercom, "Let it take control. The system will optimize the rest."

Once Ichika settled in, the Byakushiki's body armor fitted itself around his body. It read into his vitals and preferences, and adjusted itself accordingly. The IS displayed all information relevant to him. "Byakushiki," he said, "This is Byakushiki."

"Not just that," Lincoln gave him one last bit of advice, "Remember what Maya said about ISs and characteristics? The Byakushiki is your partner now. It'll move with you, as long as you move with it."

"Got it," Ichika nodded, "Man, everything suddenly makes sense when you say it like that."

"Hehehe, glad to help." Lincoln stepped away from the Byakushiki as it prepared to take its first launch.

"So, Orimura," Chifuyu asked, "Are you up to the challenge?"

"Yeah," he responded, "Piece of cake."

"Hah...we'll see," Chifuyu commed over, "Pay attention, Loud. Orimura and Alcott are of age, so the rules changed."

"Hey, Houki?" Ichika said.

"Yeah?..." she responded.

"This is it..."

"Uh...Yeah. Win this!"

"We're rooting for you, Ichika!" Lincoln said.

The Byakushiki stepped onto the launch pad.

"I'M OFF!"

Ichika was veered toward the bright light that was the entrance to the arena. The platform stopped at the end, and he jumped out and flew into the sky to meet his maker. He stopped when Cecilia was in his full view.

"Just so you know," she taunted, "This is your last chance."

"To do what?" Ichika talked.

"It's obvious to everyone that I'm going to defeat you overwhelmingly, so why not just take the chance to apologize to me now, and I might be able to forgive you."

He ran his mind through everything Lincoln showed him and came up with a battle plan, "You can't really call that a chance."

"Oh, I can't? Well, too bad for you," Cecilia prepped her rifle, "Now then..."

Ichika was sent back into the battle when his screen warned him of an impending attack.

ICHIKA ORIMURA (15) - BYAKUSHIKI (SHIELD 100%)

CECILIA ALCOTT (15) - BLUE TEARS (SHIELD 90%)

"...time to say goodBYE!" Cecilia claimed the first shot.

Ichika was barely able to dodge that first shot, but he couldn't avoid the second. It's impact nearly sent him into the floor, but he managed to dive his way back into the sky.

BYAKUSHIKI - SHIELD 97/100%

The girls winced, but Houki and Chifuyu seemed unfazed. Ichika maintained focus, trying see where the next shot would fly to, and avoiding as many shots as he could with small, guided movements. But he could avoid most, not all.

"Now, you will dance for me!" Cecilia said as she kept firing on him, "That's right, dance to the waltz that Cecilia Alcott and Blue Tears are playing!"

"Urgh, can't keep this up forever," Ichika grunted, "Where are my weapons?"

A screen popped up in front of him, showing only a sword. "Guh, is that all?!" He has to accept, "It's better than bare hands, I guess!" He materialized the sword and charged into battle.

"So, this is your brilliant plan, is it?" Cecilia taunted, "Challenging my long-range IS in hand-to-hand combat?" She prepped her rifle, "Don't be ridiculous!" and fired more powerful shots at him, all of which he either dodged or knocked away with his sword.

Luckily, he saw that even swatting away the shots would minimized the damage to his shield. He was in his moment.

The students were cheering the combatants on, but Houki and Kim were wondering how he was able to hold his own. Houki especially, because this was not prescribed by her training.

"Lincoln..." she asked, "What were you doing behind my back?..."

"Well, Ichika saw that you weren't going to teach him about the IS," Lincoln answered, "so we came up with a multiphase plan. Phase 1 was Operation Fill IS the Gap. Everyday after training, we read up on everything we needed to know about fighting with an IS. And we simply combined that with what we learned from our training!"

"Wow..." Kim was impressed, "I knew you were a special boy, but...this is something else."

"Well, Luan and Lisa were pestering us every day," Lincoln chuckled, "I had to have learned something by now..."

"I told you, I have it covered," Houki said, "Besides, fixing his weaknesses comes before the IS."

"Well, there's nothing wrong with doing two things at once, is there?..."

"Well...I just..."

"Hold it, you two," Kim pointed them to the battle screen, "They've stopped."

"Well well, looks like all that training paid off," Cecilia said, "You lasted longer than I thought you would, no doubt thanks to some sort of special plan you developed on the fly."

Ichika steadied himself, "Thanks a lot," he had to keep a straight face, despite knowing full well that she may already be onto him.

"But..." Cecilia prepped her drones for combat, "now the time has come for the finale!"

The drones flew out of her wings and began to pelt him with laser shots. Ichika stopped his advancement and focused solely on avoiding the drones fire. He was trying his best to avoid getting hit directly, but once he saw the drones come back to her, he knew that now was the time.

"I'll take your left leg!" Cecilia screamed as she recalled her drones and fired two blasts at him.

Both of which, he swatted away, "It's all or nothing!" He put more effort into his speed, which got him a good hit on her side right before she repelled him with a shot from her rifle.

BYAKUSHIKI - SHIELD 72/100%

BLUE TEARS - SHIELD 85/90%

He was forced back on the arena floor, but now he was able to see where the drones would fire, and he was able to dodge their shots. But whenever he was close enough to strike at Cecilia again, she would always narrowly escape him, and he would always find himself at the mercy of the drones.

It was a cat-and-mouse game of tag for all of three minutes.

"Ichika..." Houki muttered worryingly.

"We were right..." Lincoln gritted his teeth, "She was training too..."

Chifuyu just watched the entire match unfold.

"RAAAAAAAA-YAH!" Ichika tried one more strike and missed, and paid for it.

BYAKUSHIKI - SHIELD 65/100%

"Ngh! You're just as reckless as Lincoln!" Cecilia narrowly avoided and sent her drones after her, "I thought you'd have slightly more common sense!"

"And she held back against him..." Ichika grunted as he continued to evade every shot that came his way, "BUT!" Then, he made a beeline for a nearby drone and destroyed it with one swing, "It looks like we've figured you out!" He took another swing at Cecilia and missed, but he was ready for the surprise shots, "Your drones won't move without your command! Not only that," he slashed down another drone while the other two retreated to her wings, "the real reason you can't attack while those things are out is because your concentration goes into those things, while you're focused solely on defense."

In the control room, Maya and Chifuyu watched the entire exchange.

Maya relaxed a little, "That was really impressive. I can't believe that this is his second time in an IS."

But Chifuyu had a different opinion, "That idiot is just too worked up."

"Why would you say that?" Maya asked.

"Haven't you noticed the way he opens and closes his left hand? Whenever the kid does that, he starts making really stupid mistakes."

"Oh, I get it. I guess it really does help being his sister."

In the holding area, the three pilots were figuratively holding their breaths.

"He's figured out this much in one fight," Kim said.

"Yeah, but he still hasn't cornered her yet..." Lincoln grunted.

"Ichika..." Houki clasped her hands together.

Then, Lincoln suddenly remembered his first battle...and how his IS changed form mid battle, receiving a major power boost. He wondered... what if the Byakushiki was still on default? "Ohhhhh..."

"What?" Houki said, "What is it?"

"Um...she's about to get the shock of her life."

Ichika advanced toward Cecilia, "Two more left!" He read the drones movements and predicted their next point of attack, "I know she's going to attack me where my response speed is the slowest..." the drones have aimed from top and bottom, "... and that means..." he simply dodged the shots and let the drones destroy themselves, "...it's to my advantage to close the distance!"

Cecilia grinned, "I see he fell for it."

"Wha?!..." Ichika and Lincoln gasped.

"So sorry, but there are more than four!" Cecilia unveiled two missile pods hidden behind her legs.

"I KNEW IT!" Ichika and Lincoln screamed.

Cecilia let out four missiles right at Ichika, but he didn't run away. He just flew right in and rotated his body, allowing his sword to take down all the missiles. A giant puff of smoke encompassed them both. He used the cover to try for a surprise attack, but he missed, allowing her to push him away with a shot from her rifle.

BYAKUSHIKI - SHIELD 61/100%

"Whoa!" Lincoln jumped.

"Ichika!" Houki shouted.

"Uh?! Miss Orimura?!" Maya turned.

Chifuyu just smiled, "Well, looks like that little twit learned something after all."

"Rrrgh..." Cecilia wiped the smoke from her eyes, "What is happening? What could be-HUH?!" And what she saw made her go pale.

When the smoke subsided, the Byakushiki changed form. Instead of the metallic gray, it was pure white. No longer would it stand by while the man who bonded with it was risking life and limb for it; it would take flight by his side. As a knight.

Ichika had his eyes closed during the surprise, but when he opened them, he was back in his rhythm.

The pilots in the holding area were stunned.

"Ichika..." Houki was drifting.

"Oh my god..." was all Kim had to say.

"I'd better see them off..." Lincoln snuck out to the edge of the platform.

The students were just as shocked that such a thing happened,

"No way..."

"What's happening?"

"The shape of Orimura's IS has changed!"

A window popped up, "Huh? What's this?" letting Ichika know that the IS has completed formatting, and that it was now his to fully command.

Cecilia heard the format setting complete, "That can't be?! That's your 1st shift?! How could anyone have fought an entire match with their IS in a default setting?!"

"I'm not sure what the heck I've been doing," Ichika commented, "but it looks like this IS has finally become my own." Another window popped up:

BYAKUSHIKI - FORMAT SETTING COMPLETE

1ST SHIFT

IGNITION BOOST ONLINE; DIVERT ENERGY FROM SHIELD TO BOOSTERS TO GAIN TEMPORARY SPEED INCREASE

OFFENSE AND MOBILITY INCREASED

YUKIHIRA NIGATA ONLINE

ONE-OFF ABILITY: "Reiraku Byakuya", THE BARRIER VOID ATTACK; DIVERT ENERGY FROM SHIELD TO SWORD AND PASS IMPACT OF ATTACK THROUGH BARRIER DIRECTLY TO PILOT

"Yukihira Nigata?... The Yukihira?..." Ichika whispered, "This is my sister's blade?..."

Lincoln was standing at the edge of the launch pad, looking up at the newly emerging angel.

Ichika looked down and saw him smiling. And he chuckled and turned to Cecilia, "Heheh...you know, I'm not sure how I should feel right now."

"What...what do you mean?..." Cecilia asked nervously.

"Help me out here," he responded, "Should I feel proud that I am using a sword my older sister gave to me? Or should I feel embarrassed for having been stood up by a middle school brat?"

"Middle...HUH?!" Cecilia turned down to see Lincoln, who was giving her the gotcha face.

"Phase three: Operation Lightning Rod!" Lincoln shouted to her, "One person takes the brunt and distracts you, while learning everything about your IS! The other internalizes the information, sneaks in, and finishes the job!"

"Three?!" Cecilia jolted, "Wait, three?! Then...what was..."

"Well," Ichika filled in the gaps, "We had to learn. And we learned about your snobby arrogance."

The more she thought about it, the clearer the picture became, and the angrier she got. This wasn't really a duel; this was a 2-on-1 matchup. Phase one was all about learning about the IS, and phase three she just heard from Lincoln. They worked together to beat her, but they knew she'd have a leg up on them if she saw them both fighting first. And they knew she was already a more skilled pilot than they were. That's where phase two came in: Operation Play Up the Arrogance. Long story short: _by appearing weakened after each training session, they hoodwinked her into going first_.

And thanks to that, the match and everything before it...was 100% theirs.

"You...This was...just an elaborate hoax?!" She stuttered.

"Yep, but even then, I needed help," Ichika said, "Maybe it's time I changed my relationship with everyone. Maybe...instead of always being the one that needs to be protected, I should start being the one that's doing the protecting."

"What the...where's all this coming from?! What exactly are you saying?!"

"I'm saying that I will defend my sister's name," Ichika prepped his sword for combat, "It'll look lame if her brother's a candy-ass weakling."

Chifuyu heard every word, but she was still waiting for him to own up to it.

"HONESTLY, YOU TWO ARE SUCH A PAIN!" Cecilia let loose every single rocket she could possibly let out.

"Too late, I've seen them now!" Ichika effortlessly countered every single rocket, slicing them all in half and making them explode a safe distance away from him. Then, he blasted off towards Cecilia, "Yes! I can do this!"

Cecilia tried to shoot, but he somehow got faster than before, too fast for her to track.

Ichika rushed to her, "YYYYYAAAAAAA-"

unknowingly triggering the Ignition Boost and Barrier Void Attack, without realizing how much energy was needed to power up both abilities.

One strike, he rushed in and took her left leg cannon.

BYAKUSHIKI - SHIELD 37/100%

BLUE TEARS - SHIELD 72/90%

One more strike, he took her right leg cannon.

BYAKUSHIKI - SHIELD 26/100%

BLUE TEARS - SHIELD 60/90%

One more strike, he swung down the middle and took her rifle, "HAAAAAAA-YAH!"

"AAAHAAAAAAAAGH!"

BYAKUSHIKI - SHIELD 12/100% (WARNING)

BLUE TEARS - SHIELD 3/90% (CRITICAL)

In just three strikes, Ichika managed to bring Cecilia to her breaking point. He stripped her of all her weapons, and her reduced her shielding to a bubble.

The students were cheering madly.

"This is it!"

"I can't even!"

"He's got her!"

"The new class rep!"

"Come on, man!" Lincoln kept his eyes on the fight, "Just one more strike is all we need!"

"I hear you!" Ichika prepped his sword for one last strike.

Cecilia backed away to a safe distance from his reach. But she was scared of that sudden burst of speed. And she knew it was only a matter of time before-

"I HAVE YOU NOW!" He did it again. He boosted again. He was inches away from striking her again.

But then...

BYAKUSHIKI - SHIELD 0 (EMPTY) - **LOSE**

His IS stopped locked up. The buzzer sounded. An announcement was made, "THE MATCH IS CONCLUDED. THE WINNER IS CECILIA ALCOTT."

"What?!" Ichika shouted.

"What?" Houki and Kim said.

"What?!" Cecilia shouted.

"WHAT?!" Everyone in the stands shouted.

"What?" Maya looked back at Chifuyu, would just gave his brother a satisfied expression.

But Lincoln was...gone... "...fish...paste..."

After their IS were fully repaired, Cecilia stood in front of her stats screen, thinking about everything that happened during the match. The sudden chemistry between the male pilots was unreal. So much so, that they concocted a plan not even she could see coming. All throughout last week, she was going on about how men have become inferior, and how a middle schooler shouldn't be in high school. Yet, here come two exceptions to that notion. Maybe there was more to them that meets the eye. She decided to ask them herself how in the world they were able to withstand the pressure. She was about to enter their holding area, when she heard,

"DANGIT! WHAT WAS THAT?! THAT HAS GOTTA BE THE WORST! COP OUT! EVER!"

"Now, now, Lincoln," Maya calmed him down, "There actually is a good explanation for what happened today."

"What reason could that be?!"

"Why don't we go over to them and hear them out?" Kim walked him over to the rest of the group.

"So...why'd I lose again?" Ichika asked Chifuyu.

"You lost because you used the Barrier-disabling attack," she said, "without taking into account how it would affect everything else."

"Barrier disabling attack..."

"Which punctures the opponent's barrier and passes the impact directly to its body. That's something only the Yukihira can do," she explained, "However, that ability has to cannibalize your own shield energy to function...Actually, I have to admit that when I won the first Mondo Grosso, it was mostly as a result of that one ability."

"I see...so, that's why the Byakushiki's shield energy suddenly plummeted."

"Wait a sec..." Lincoln interrupted, "Are you saying that this could be a one-shot kind of weapon?"

"Potentially, Yes," Maya answered, "Normally, we'd have to see a competitor's IS shield energy drop to zero before we decide the victor. However, both of your ISs are special cases, since both of your abilities damage your own shield in order to use them. It's a classic case of a double-edged sword."

"Right," Chifuyu said, "but there's something you have to keep in mind."

"What's that?" Ichika asked.

"Well...given the black box nature of the core, and the overall fitting process, an IS isn't complete to begin with, so calling it defective would be inaccurate. But since your IS is far more offense oriented, and Lincoln's IS is far more support oriented, they can't be handled the same way."

The boys sighed. Ichika looked at his new IS, which has now taken the shape of a bulky bracelet.

Then, Maya walked up to Ichika, "At the moment, your IS is in Standby mode. All you have to do is call it, and it'll deploy right away." Then, she handed him a book: IS PRACTICE MANUAL, Vol. 1, "However, there are a lot of regulations, so read this thoroughly."

"Hey!" Lincoln commented, "That's the book we were supposed to read before school started! Ah...what took so long?"

Maya just laughed nervously, while Ichika groaned.

"One more thing," Chifuyu walked to Lincoln and took the accessory off his belt.

SAVVY SUITE - SHIELD 137%

"Hey," Lincoln said, "My shielding went back up."

"You'll be required to wear this in all school matches," Chifuyu said, "so make sure you keep it with you at all times."

"Yes, ma'am," Lincoln nodded, also understanding that there may be a time when that handicap will not be needed.

Cecilia saw and heard the entire after meeting. For all her jabs at them with handicaps, an 11 year old boy just gave her one during the fight! Or rather, he had to! And if Ichika had just one more day to hone his skills, he could have done her in!

Oh, who was she kidding. They did do her in. Without beating her in battle.

Lincoln ran home early to take the first shower, while Ichika and Houki talked about spending more time together in the dojo. Lincoln reflected on everything that happened in the match. But that's when his mind played the connections game.

_("Well, it is the responsibility of nobles to address the concerns of the lower class.")_

_("Since when did we roboticize DBZ?...")_

DBZ...Vegeta...she's like Vegeta...hishomeworldgotblownupandhisdadgotaxed-Lincoln ended his shower early.

"Well..." Houki said when she got to his dorm, "See you tomorrow."

"Same here, Houki," Ichika waved, "See you."

"Ok..." Houki walked away while trying to avoid the swarm of girls that begged her to narrate her walk with him.

"Hey, Linc," Ichika walked in, "You wanna get something to eat?"

Lincoln turned himself and the laptop to him, "Uhhhhh...Ehenzeeahneh?..."

"Ok, weird. What are you doing in the...in the..." Ichika saw what Lincoln saw.

HEADLINE: TODAY MARKS 2ND ANNIVERSARY OF TRAIN ACCIDENT

ONE MONTH AGO: CONFIRMED SOLE SURVIVOR CECILIA ALCOTT TRANSFERRED TO IS ACADEMY UPON RECEIVING NATIONAL BLESSING

"Oh, crap..." Ichika muttered.

"Ah...we owe her an apology..." Lincoln winced.

"No, I don't think she'd appreciate it..."

"Oh...so...just act normal?"

"I guess."

Meanwhile, in her dorm room, Cecilia spent her shower replaying the last moments she spent with the boys in the air.

'What's with me?...' She wondered, 'Even though I was the overall winner...why do I feel this way?...'

She saw a hidden determination deep within both of them. Lincoln didn't say anything and dove headfirst into the fray. Ichika made his faith in himself and in his loved ones very clearly through his sword.

"Loud...Orimura...shield and sword..."


	9. Past Connections

The week since the rep duel has been hectic for all three of them. Everyone has been pounding on them for the details of the fight, right from the announcement, up to the very last strike. Lincoln had to come up with as many excuses as possible, seeing as how everyone thinks that he threw the match on purpose...because they didn't see Cecilia throw him for a loop that one time...

The Friday morning after the fight, Houki and the boys and ran to the lockers as fast as they could.

"Why...I just had to open my big mouth..." Ichika groaned.

"I'm sure it'll blow over!" Lincoln assured as he changed into his battle uniform, "As soon as Cecilia's inauguration is finished, we can all get back to our regularly scheduled programming!"

"Actually, you have blockhead here to blame," Houki said, "He was feeling embarrassed because he was shown up by a 'middle school brat'."

"That's not the problem here!" Lincoln freaked, "What am I gonna do _in seven minutes_?! We're going outside in Arena 6, where everyone can see us!"

"Speaking of which...did anyone ever listen to Cecilia when she was questioned today?..." Ichika mentioned.

"Ugh..." Houki was getting a headache just thinking about it, "Ichika, we need to talk..."

"Oh-uh...Yeah, lead the way..." Ichika walked with her to the open area, leaving Lincoln to face the wrath of the overly curious students.

"Always feeling like you missed out on something," Lincoln talked to the imaginary friends, "Now, that's how you know you're far away from home."

The next period was outside. The students were getting their first closeup lesson about the IS. All stood at attention until Chifuyu came to the front.

"For today's lesson," Chifuyu declared, "we're going to practice operating the basic controls of the IS." She stepped back, "Orimura! Alcott! You're up!"

"Not a problem," Cecilia said. She simply closed her eyes, and a second later she was in her Blue Tears.

"Okay," Ichika tried to do exactly what she did, but nothing happened, "Oh, what's the matter with this darn thing?"

"Move it, Orimura!" Chifuyu shouted, "Any experienced IS pilot should take less than a second to deploy!"

"Hhhhhh...just focus..." Ichika closed his eyes and concentrated, "Engage! Byakushiki!" He was enveloped in that same bright light for an instant. When the light subsided, he was in the Byakushiki, "Hey, it worked!"

"Good," Chifuyu commanded, "Now, fly!"

"Right!" Cecilia took off into the sky.

"Ok..." Ichika prepped himself, "Take off!" And he took off-

-BLAOW!-

"WOOOOAAAAAAAAA!"

-too fast. He had to slow down to just under Cecilia's speed in order to maintain control.

Houki and Lincoln were still on the floor watching the two race around in the sky for a little bit, but Lincoln could tell that Ichika was having trouble consciously keeping up with Cecilia, before Chifuyu told him to pick it up.

Chifuyu gave thirty seconds in the air before ordering, "Orimura. Alcott. Execute a power dive and come to a complete halt."

Cecilia dove head first towards the ground, but she lifted herself up and slowed down at the last minute to make a perfect landing.

"Wow, she made it look easy," Ichika noted, "Ok, let's do this!" He dove down as well, just too fast, "WhoawhoaWHOAWHOA-GGGGGGH!" He managed to save himself by kicking in a split-second Ignition Boost. At the cost of kicking some dust in some of the students' faces.

"Blech! *COUGH*COUGH*" Lincoln used his battle uniform to hide his nose, "Talk about eating someone's dust..."

"Whew..." Ichika whispered, "That was a close one..."

"Not even."

"Uh..." he flinched at his sister's stern voice.

"That was reckless of you to lose focus like that," Chifuyu said, "A split-second later and you would've buried yourself in the dirt."

"Heh, sorry," was all Ichika could say.

"Goodness, that was quite a rough landing," Cecilia came to him, "Are you all right, Ichika dear?"

"Yeah, I actually survived that-Wait. Ichika _dear_?!"

"Loud!" Chifuyu interrupted, "Step forward."

"*GULP* Yes, ma'am!" Loud walked toward the front of the class.

"You're going to do the same thing," Chifuyu ordered, "except this time, on my mark, you're gonna touch your feet to the ground with minimal damage."

'The dreaded superhero landing?!' Lincoln refocused himself on the task at hand, "Understood." He walked over to the spot where Cecilia and Ichika landed, "Well, it's small potatoes, so..." his belt glowed before he could finish, and in less than a second, he was back in his IS, "...let's ride!" And then, he was in the air, as if he was one with the wind.

"All of you, pay attention," Chifuyu said, "notice how he deployed and took off within one second, and he maintains control of his speed."

"Yeah..." Ichika said, "He's really getting into it..."

"Too into it," Maya pointed, "Look."

Lincoln had his arms spread out, "Man, I can't get enough of this...but I imagine I'm gonna have to come down soon."

Funny enough, Chifuyu commed over to him, "Loud, descend now."

"Copy!" Lincoln responded, "Well, speak of the devil. Ok, time to go!" He dove headfirst to maintain speed, then positioned his feet to land. "Ok...huh?! I can't slow down! HEEEEEELP!"

"I knew it..." Maya said.

"Oh no!" Ichika rushed to catch him, "Hang on, Lincoln!"

"OUTTA THE W-"

-BOOM!-

Lincoln accidentally kicked Ichika into the ground. Everyone screamed upon impact. Cecilia retracted her IS and dashed to the Savvy Suite with the rest of the class. They were expecting to see someone in need of an infirmary.

Thankfully, no one was hurt. But it did look like someone struck.

"Oww..." Lincoln muttered, "No more superhero landings..."

"Man, that would've been messy..." Ichika said before he saw the position he was in. Or most of the students, who were blushing, "Huh? Uh..."

"...it...already is..." Lincoln was on top of him. And his legs were buried in the ground, even with their ISs withdrawn.

"Ggg-Where are your legs?!"

"Aaagh—stuck!"

While everyone sighed in relief, Chifuyu got onto him, "You morons. Loud, you had total control at the start. What the hell happened?"

"Ehhh, Sorry about that," Ichika scratched his head.

"I'll do better next time," Lincoln said.

Houki decided to tell Ichika off, "That was too reckless, Ichika! What are you thinking getting yours-AGH! HEY!"

Cecilia pushed her aside and knelt down to their spot, "Goodness! Are you two Alright?! You're not injured anywhere, are you?!"

"Ah-no, no!" Ichika said, "We're okay, honest!"

"Uh-" Lincoln was too shocked by her swing of tone to say anything.

"I'm so glad to hear that," Cecilia said, "Still, I do think it's a good idea to get checked thoroughly at the nurse's office. Why don't I escort you there and-"

"Not necessary," Houki interrupted, much to the boys' shock, "It's impossible for anyone to get injured while piloting an IS."

"But we al-" Lincoln was cut off by Cecilia,

"Oh, please understand, Miss Shinonono. It is only natural for me to care about others."

"Why us-" Lincoln was cut off by Houki,

"Oh yeah, because your bosom is overflowing with human kindness."

"B-B-B-B-" Lincoln was cut off for the last time by Cecilia,

"Yes, it is, and it's so much more pleasant than scowling like a troll."

Houki and Cecilia growled in each other's faces, while Ichika was questioning the origins of their sudden, random, out-of-place feud.

Lincoln just gave up, "Is this what you call a "character 180?" Wait. Am I gonna turn out like that?!"

The end of the day came at last. Lincoln was just coming back from a brief after school art club meeting. He yawned and stretched his back, preparing himself for a nice meal and a good shower when he looked out the window of the top floor.

"So, this is the IS Academy," a brunette was waiting at the entrance to the Academy.

"Lynn?!" Lincoln rubbed his eyes and did a double-take. When he looked at her again, he saw it wasn't her. "Oh, right...Lynn has way shorter hair. Silly me, heh."

Just then, he received a notification on his communicator:

**Saw your fight. You REALLY need help. And it's coming soon**

**-AAdsz**

"Well...I didn't realize I was _that_ famous," he tabbed it and ran off for dinner. This time, he sat away from Ichika and his horde of girls as they popped a surprise announcement:

"Orimura! Congratulations on your inauguration as Class Rep!"

Poppers popped confetti everywhere. Everyone was cheering. Lincoln observed the antics.

"Wait, How did I become the class representative?" And Ichika has no idea what was going on.

"Oh, you were promoted because I decided to step down," Cecilia said to him, "Obviously, it's true that you did lose the match, but if you think about it, that outcome was inevitable. After all~~~"

"You're kidding?..." Lincoln munched on a fry, "After all that back and forth..."

"Well, it did a number on her, at least," Kim commented.

"Look at him," Akina joked, "Quite the ladies man, isn't he?"

"I wouldn't wanna be in his shoes right now," Lincoln quipped as a student from the news paper club called for a photo of just Ichika and Cecilia.

"You're not mad she beat you, though?" Kim asked.

"Not anymore," Lincoln answered, "just a...friendly rivalry, shall we say?"

"Oh no," Akina swerved their heads, "it's happening!"

When the student was about to take the picture, it was just Ichika and Cecilia. The instant she snapped the photo, it was Ichika, Cecilia, Houki, and 8 other girls.

Lincoln's table got a big laugh.

"Haha, classic!" Lincoln said.

"Oh, what must it be like to be the center of attention," Kim wondered.

"Does it turn your hair white at an early age?" Lincoln joked.

"P-HAH! As if!" Akina laughed.

None of them heard Ichika say...

_(2ND ANNIVERSARY OF TRAIN ACCIDENT)_

_(SOLE SURVIVOR CECILIA ALCOTT)_

_("Ah...we owe her an apology...")_

"Nope! Nu-uh! I'm calling a do-over!"

"HUH?!" Everyone at the table stunted.

"Oh boy, I better see this..." Lincoln hopped off.

"We'll watch your back," Akina and Kim walked beside him.

"Sorry, Kaoruko-San," Ichika held up his hands, "but can we do the picture over again, as originally planned this time?"

"Oh, sure," Kaoruko said, "Cecilia, are you fine with this?"

"Uh...yes, of course! I'd be delighted!"

Houki got in his face, "Ok, Ichika. You better tell me what's going on, or else."

"Well," Ichika seemingly turned off his brain, "you wouldn't tell me why you're in such a bad mood, so I just..."

"Iiiichiiiiiik-"

"Well, I suppose it's only natural for a gentleman to own up to the promise at hand," Cecilia took his hand, "Come now, Ichika dear. Let's not keep her waiting any longer."

"Uh, where'd the _dear_ come from?"

"From the forest of hearts," Lincoln nudged, "Come on, it's obvious."

Ichika and Cecilia laughed before getting into position.

"Okay, that's it," Kaoruko said, "Now just get a little close and give me a big smile."

Lincoln sensed a disturbance in the atmosphere and deployed just the winged cape. "Time to flop the river," he whispered to Akina, Kim, and Strong Suit.

SAVVY SUITE - SHIELD 113/137%

"Very good," Kaoruko prepped her camera, "Just relax...say cheese!"

This time, the picture turned out rather nice. Just Cecilia and Ichika posing in front of the virtual aquarium column, albeit with a pleasant blue wave background.

Completely framing out Lincoln, Akina, and Kim, who successfully prevented the rest of the crowd butting in the picture.

SAVVY SUITE - SHIELD 18/137% (WARNING)

"Aw, come on!"

"Just a peek, Linc?!"

"Move it, buzzkill!"

"Not this time, ladies," Lincoln said, "Orimura's orders."

"Loud!" Houki shouted, "You better tell me what you're doing, or else-"

"You'll human pretzel him?"

Houki looked down and saw the girl that was called on to fight earlier this week, "Wha...you-"

"Eh, nah," Strong Suit materialized a bamboo staff, "You know, if you weren't scowling like a troll so much, you could actually get a boyfriend."

"Ooh! This looks so much prettier!" Kaoruko cheered after reviewing the photo, "I'll be sure to send you copies this Monday. In the meantime, there's always the bulletin boards!"

"My, my," Cecilia complemented, "you're quite the charmer when it comes to stressful situations, aren't you?"

"Uh, well, I try..." Ichika led Cecilia away from the giant crowd.

"Oh, not just yet, you two! Excuse me, Lincoln!" Kaoruko yanked him back down to the floor, "If you can just withdraw your wing units, I have a few questions to ask you three."

"Uh...sure!" Lincoln sat with the group at the table, with Akina and Kim at his side...

...while Houki's Kendo duked it out with Strong Suit's Bojutsu.

"I demand to see Ichika and Cecilia!"

"You're gonna have to try harder, troll face!"

"STOP CALLING ME TROLL FACE!"

"Nyeeeeh!"

The next day, Lincoln was up at 08:22 taking another video call on his laptop, this time from Luan and Clyde.

"Dang, Lincoln!" Luan was surprised, "All that planning, and you still got decked?"

"I know," Lincoln said, "I'm now 0 for 2 in the IS battle record."

"Wow, and she's Lola levels of narcissism...that's gotta be a pretty bad _deuce_! Hahahahaha! Get it?!"

"Very punny," Lincoln said, "So, how's everything back home?"

"Middle school is so different now that I'm all by myself!" Clyde said, "It feels so much more...how you described flying in that thing. There's something inviting and scary about it. It's crazy!"

"Oh, not as crazy as the weird advice Lynn gave him," Luan nudged, "It got him three new friends! After they made him sweat a litttle."

"But it was nullified by everyone asking about you!" Clyde said, "They kept begging me to give them a little bit of your blessing! I don't know how they figured out that I got the magic touch, though."

"Oh, you know," Luan quipped, "Through the magic of snooping and eavesdropping. Everyone who's heard of a camera is desperate to get that juicy gossip."

"Did they catch Clyde going robo-Gaga for Lori again?" Lincoln asked.

"Hey!" Clyde griped, "I can handle myself in front of her! I am gonna be her one and-"

"Luan, Clyde," suddenly Lori, "you literally took up half an hour, and now you're gonna-"

"L...L...L...LORI?!" Clyde released a nosebleed...on her shoes...before fainting on them.

"Oh boy..." Lincoln muted the speaker right before Lori shrieked in horror, and restored the volume when it was over, "Yeah, we gotta fix that."

"This is the fifth pair! He's done this ONCE A WEEK!"

Suddenly, Leni, "Have you tried wearing red shoes?"

Luan blabbed without seeing Lori growling, "We did, actually. She looked so graceful skating acr-"

"NO WE DIDN'T!" Lori covered Luan's mouth, "No, we didn't."

"Skate...love..." Clyde called her bluff.

"I don't understand, though," Lori said, "Leni, you were supposed to help him act normal."

"Oh...I forgot to teach him how to handle a hug," Leni didn't her scrunch when she said the h-word, "My bad!"

"Hug?" Lincoln reacted, "*GASP* You didn't!"

"What are you talking about?!" Lori panicked.

"Oh, I think _we _know!" Luan egged on her.

Ten minutes later, after Leni and Luan shared their story of how they tried to help Clyde settle in as the resident Lincoln...and after getting the giggles out of the way...

"Ugh..." Lori groaned, "You two are gonna pay for this..."

"Don't take this the wrong way," Lincoln controlled his laughter, "but let's the goal here be make him get over his crush, ok?"

"You can say that again-hahahahahaaaa!" Luan replayed the last few moments.

"Come on, Clyde's doing ok as is, right?" Lori said, right before Clyde rolled off the couch and made her yelp.

"You have Bobby," Lincoln couldn't resist, "Why do you need Clyde, too? He's already an honorary Loud...aka, brother." Lori's eye twitched. "So what gives?"

"Think you got a leg up on me, huh?"

"How's that possible?" Leni asked, "He's not home anymore?"

"*SIGH*...Alright, Alright. I'll do it," Lori said, "I'll let him down gently."

"Whoa! Gently?!" Luan pretended to lose her mind, "You're never gentle with him!"

Leni nearly fainted at the sound of that.

"Oh, god!" Lincoln banged his head on the pillow, "Luan, why?!"

"Ok, time for bed, dirtbag," Lori dragged Luan away.

"Hahahaaa! Exactly the reaction I wanted!" Luan fist pumped, "Ok, ttyl, Lincoln!"

Leni closed in on the camera, "Uh...Linky?"

"Yeah? What's up?"

"Um..." and became concerned, "have you heard from Lynn, lately?"

"Yeah, she's been emailing me every other day. Why?"

"Oh. Oh, nothing? Just wanted to see. That's all."

"Huh... is there something I should know?"

"No! No reason at all!" Leni decided to end the call, "Uh...bye, Lincoln!"

"Uh...ok?..." Lincoln shrugged and went straight to his email. He then reviewed all the messages she sent, starting from the day after 8th grade began,

**Hey, Bro!**

**Times are weird here. I mean, my first day of 6th grade was an absolute disaster, so I thought I'd give Clyde some helpful advice. Turns out, he didn't need it! I didn't think being a dorkadoofus would get him some friends already! **

**-LJ**

And a few days after that...

**So, Clyde's setting in as our resident "you", so...anything to cure his nosebleed disorder? Seriously, Lisa and I are convinced it's a disorder.**

**-LJ**

And the day of the Class Rep Duel...

**Dude, you are famous! They keep asking about you! I tell them that I been knocking at your door and dragging you across the walls. Of course, they don't know what I mean. Margo does, though! She's been doing a lot of peering into us lately. Do I smell...creeper alert?**

**-LJ**

And one more that came in after he woke up...

**You should've seen the look on Chandler's face! HE AIN'T THE MOST POPULAR KID ANYMORE! Everyone's been egging him on for freeloading and being and overall butt polisher! **

**-LJ**

He couldn't tell if Lynn was being nice, or if she was hiding something. In fact, Leni was the one who mentioned Lynn. What was all that about?

A knock on the door interrupted the mail search, "Ah-uh... coming!" He ran to the door and listened for any noise. He couldn't hear anything, but he prepared for an encounter from one of his fans, "Uy...take a drink every time the mood whiplashes without warning..." he yanked it open, "Cecilia?"

"Oh?!" she said, "Unexpected...where is he?"

"He's out training again. Houki literally dragged him out of bed."

"Uh-huh..." Cecilia got slightly irritated, "and exactly how did they interact with each other at that moment?"

"...psychological horror."

**—FLASHBACK - 07:33—**

The boys were still sleeping, but Ichika felt the urge to go, "Ugh...whose idea was it to put the toilets at the end of the hall..."

He trudged out the door and made it halfway to the toilets when-

"You're late."

"Guhuhuh!" Ichika was jolted awake by a menacing groan, "H...Houki..."

"We have training today."

"But...you said that it was at 9..."

Houki moved to his back, "I moved it up."

"Oh, great...let me just empty out my bladder and I'll-"

"Ohhhhh, no...you're late..."

**—END FLASHBACK—**

"Oh my..." Cecilia gasped, "Is this an evolution of a brutish behavior never before seen by mankind?"

"Well, when you put it like that..."

They gave the thought five seconds before they made a mad dash to the dojo.

And yet they had nothing to worry about. They saw that Ichika was able to hold his own against an extra-angry Houki, preventing her from landing a single hit. They just hid behind the door watching the bamboo carnage.

"I DON'T KNOW WHY YOU'RE IN SUCH A BAD MOOD!"

"YOU WOULDN'T UNDERSTAND!"

"ARE YOU GONNA HELP ME UNDERSTAND?!"

"WHY WOULD I TELL YOU WHEN YOU ARE SO DENSE?!"

"I've never seen a couple fight like that..." Lincoln cowered.

"Brutal conduct as expected from that frontwoman," Cecilia muttered, "I'm sure she has a petty reason for an unnecessary conflict."

"WHAT IS IT WITH YOU AND THAT...THAT WOMAN?!"

"WOULD IT HELP IF I TOLD YOU SHE'S NOT GONNA MEAN ANYTHING TO YOU?!"

"NO, IT WOULD NOT!"

Cecilia collapsed on Lincoln, "Dense is right...no man on earth would blab something so random! Not even for their own lives!"

Lincoln's vision was cloud by her hair, "Uh-huh...now I know I'm in Japan..."

"IF YOU ARE A MAN, YOU WOULD NEVER HOLD BACK AGAINST ME!" Houki slammed her bamboo blade repeatedly on Ichika.

Ichika twitched after hearing that bit. He blocked her next strike and slid her blade out of his hot box, giving him a very big opportunity to land "WHAT KIND" a hit to her torso, "OF LOGIC" a hit to her shoulder. "IS THAT?!" and a hit to helmet.

"Ooooh..." Lincoln and Cecilia winced.

**WIN **Ichika 3 - 0 Houki **LOSE**

Houki stood awestruck at how she suddenly lost in just five seconds, while Ichika ran out to take a leak outside.

"What is going through that woman's mind now?" Cecilia whispered.

"Bad things?" Lincoln wasn't sure, until he saw her remove her helmet, "Let's am-scray..."

"Yup."

Cecilia and Lincoln tiptoed away.

An hour later at the cafeteria, and the pair had been spying on Ichika, who kept failing to appeal to Houki's good side.

"Why is she not responding to him?" Lincoln wondered.

"Does she even know how lucky she is to be in his company?" Cecilia complained, "And for that matter, why is he wasting any effort on her?"

"Childhood friendship, rekindled after a six-year hiatus."

"Six years? What the hell has she been doing the whole time?!"

Lincoln peeked around to see if anyone was listening. When he confirmed that they Cecilia was the only person in earshot, "he whispered, "Hiding...her sister's the creator of the Infinite Stratos. Big machines come with big secrets, you know?"

"... oh..." Cecilia kept silent. She knew what that felt like, if only for two years. But during the two, she developed a hardened exterior, while Houki...she doesn't know what she developed besides her chest. She took one more look at Houki, "You know, I would think she'd be more than happy to be back in his embrace. She dragged him out to breakfast, and yet she's rejecting his every advance."

"You're right," Lincoln gathered their food, "Let's set up a play date." And he walked them over to Ichika's table.

"Wanna go out and have some fun?" Ichika asked Houki, "I hear there's a new arcade that opened up yesterday."

"You're an idiot."

"I give up..."

"Morning!" Lincoln waved.

"Hey!" Ichika immediately brightened up, "What are you two doing up so early?"

"Just thought we could all hang out today, the four of us," Lincoln said, "I heard there's a new arcade in town."

"Yeah, we should stop by," Ichika noticed his partner, "If...if you're ok with that, Cecilia."

"Of course I am!" Cecilia cheerfully brightened, "Why would I miss the chance to tour the local paradise?"

"Great, so it's settled!"

"I'll pass," Houki was about to leave-

-when Lincoln whispered to Ichika, "Psst, Code Green."

"!! To her!"

The boys went over the girls' reaction to the photo shoot last night, and came up with color codes corresponding to whatever future predicament they would find themselves in. And this was one of them. Code Green: jealously, envy, or both; in the case of relationships between a female childhood friend witnessing her male childhood friend spend time with another woman, it's usually both.

And Ichika managed to exploit it, "Are you sure, Houki? If you do...it'll be just me, Lincoln, and Ceciliaaaaaa."

-CRASH!-

Cecilia's glass of milk slipped off her tray, "Oh my! How unsightly of me!" at the same time Houki froze and twitched her left eye.

"Here, let me get that," Ichika wiped the spot clean.

"Do they offer discounts on IS Academy uniforms?" Lincoln asked while dumping the glass in a trash can.

Houki should have known that she'd been had, but she was far too consumed by the thought of Cecilia potentially making a move on Ichika to care. She quickly dumped everyone's food in the trash and took Ichika's hand, "I'm going with you."

"Eh-Huh?! Just what?!" Ichika stammered.

"I was still eat-" Lincoln was cut off by Houki,

"We're going to the arcade, right?! Let's go right now!"

"Actually," Cecilia altered their plans slightly, "I heard that there are some fashionable clothing outlets that tend to attract the more savvy couples."

"I'll pick out a nice dress for you too," Houki sarcastically sneered.

"Then, let's be off," Cecilia flaunted her hair and led the group out, with Houki dragging Ichika along for the ride.

Lincoln followed him, "That was the Bacon Swiss Army special she just tossed out..."

"I'm sure there's a burger joint nearby..."

Later, the gang made it to the mall. They entered through the west entrance, which, to Houki's horror, put them in the middle of a massive clothing store. Which housed no horrid dresses whatsoever.

"You cannot be serious..." Houki muttered.

"Well, we're here," Ichika said, "What's our first move?"

"I say we go straight to the woman's clothing section!" Cecilia suggested, "There's bound to be some new arrivals for the upcoming autumn."

Houki begrudgingly went along with it. They went on trying new clothes, and she could've enjoyed it if it were her and Ichika alone, but as is, it didn't make her rage out. That could be considered a good thing. But...

"Ooh, maybe this could happen upon me in the future," Lincoln held up a leather jacket.

"Haha, That thing far exceeds your current age," Cecilia took it, "I think it would look better on someone older," and put it on Ichika.

"Whoa..." who pulled it off surprisingly well, "I almost forgot they made men's clothing."

"Wait, put your back to hers..." Lincoln moves them both into position. And all of a sudden, he was looking at an IRL advertisement for a romcom/buddy film, "Wow. Look!" He snapped a photo and showed it to everyone.

"Oh, my my... I didn't expect your slim, rugged physique to compliment my natural beauty," Cecilia winked.

"Does that line make any sense?..." Ichika turned to Houki, "You wanna try on a-"

"No," Houki walked away.

"Aw, come on, don't be like that!" Ichika chased after her, "We're all supposed to have fun togeth-"

"Put a sock in it!" Houki socked him with socks and sunglasses, and stormed off.

"Mmmfmmmgmmwmmmmmwmmkhmmmfmmmmm... (Is this gonna be a recurring pattern?)" Ichika muffled.

"Is she ever going to let go of that unnecessary grudge?" Cecilia popped the socks and glasses out of his face and grabbed his hand, "Come on, Ichika dear. Let us be off to explore the good side of the mall."

"Ah, sure!" Ichika quickly broke off, "Just let me get some headlights-EEK!" But his entire arm was quickly recaptured, and he was dragged away, "Lincoln...help..."

"Uh, right," Lincoln turned around and grabbed Houki's hand, "Oh no, it's this way."

"Hey!" Houki yelped and snatched her hand away, "Where do you think you're grabbing?!"

"What about?...Is that hand _reserved_ for someone?"

"Ah! I-you-pu-*SIGH...*"

"I get it, ok? You were forced to hide from very greedy people. But now, you're...let's see...30 yards away from him. What's wrong with telling him how you feel?"

"It's not that simple, ok?!"

"You don't have to tell him everything. Just..."

Cecilia shouted, "Ooh, this would be perfect to commemorate our first day together!"

"Just tell him something," Lincoln said while trying to ignore Houki's glare, "and tell him now..."

"Move," Houki grabbed his hand and stormed away into the mall.

"Please let this go in a direction I didn't predict would go..." he whispered.

The next stop just so happened to be a traditional antique shop.

"I don't understand what we are even doing here," Cecilia griped, "out of all the beautiful stands we could've visited, why this shack?"

"I just thought I'd help you and Lincoln get acquainted with Japanese tradition," Houki smirked, "There's a surprisingly high level of culture hidden just underneath the surface."

"Are you suggesting that I am ill-suited for a tradition so easy to understand as this?" Cecilia pestered.

"Well, you did call out our underdeveloped level of culture..." Houki stuffed the words down Cecilia's throat.

"Oh, fine!" Cecilia walked in, "I supposed I shall have to be properly educated in order to better mingle with the common classes."

"Passive-aggressive my foot..." Lincoln whispered to Ichika's amusement.

They walked in and found themselves immersed in the authenticity and majesty of the antique store. They were caught up in examining the many artifacts that lined the shelves that they didn't notice Ichika come to Houki's side. Nor did they notice Cecilia stumbling on a tea ceremony, nearly knocking over a shelf with a bamboo hat, getting her hair tangled in the sash while trying on a yukata, and somehow fumbling around with-and snapping-five pairs of chopsticks in half, all while flinging various small objects every which way.

"There must be some protective charm or hidden technique preventing me from mastering such a simple maneuver," Cecilia grunted.

"There's no special secret at all," Lincoln was able to balance a bottle on his chopsticks to Cecilia's bewilderment, "You just need to keep it not so tight."

"Uh...well, if you're so knowledgeable, then-" Cecilia was stopped by the sight of Ichika and Houki staring at a hand painted poster of the two big ones.

"Pretty grim, this one..." Ichika said.

"Yeah..." Houki grasped his hand, "They say the spirits of the fallen still guide the course of Japan even today."

"So they could be guiding the ISs...You don't think the IS is remotely supernatural, do you?"

"The IS core is a black box. It could be anything."

Hearing that gave Lincoln goosebumps.

"Pardon me," Cecilia had other thoughts, "but I thought we were supposed to be on a fun day of play."

"Oh, that's what we were doing," Houki said.

"What's wrong with a little history lesson?" Ichika asked.

"I would think that history is reserved for weekdays, not weekends," Cecilia walked out, "Might we spend time at a more worthwhile venue?"

"Really?" Houki griped, "And where in the world would that be?"

Later, in front of a music store...

"WHY HERE?!" Houki screamed.

"Well, you were just so enthralled with that poster's rendition that I thought I might help you channel all that unnecessary baggage into something useful," Cecilia winked.

"Luna said something like that once," Lincoln said.

"Don't encourage her!" Houki protested.

"I think it's a nice change of pace from that little bit of bombshell," Ichika went in.

"What are you-" Houki saw Ichika and Cecilia go in and mustered the tolerance to follow them.

Except Lincoln. "Ok...this is going exactly where I thought this would go. And I'm gonna put a detour in it." He followed them in, just in time to see Cecilia go wild on a violin, twirling and stomping her way across the aisles.

"Come on, boys!" She shouted, "Time to throw down and let it flow!"

"Hey, we should!" Ichika grabbed Houki's hand.

"What the-we don't do this!" Houki tried to reel him in.

But Lincoln gave her a nudge, "Aw, what's the harm? We're here, aren't we?"

"Can you two please just think about it?!"

"I have," Ichika took her in for the twirl while Lincoln rushed to find a banjo.

And they made much merriment. Well, except Houki. For all her training in keeping the fast feet in kendo, none of it could help her keep pace with the dance steps that Cecilia introduced. She was having so much trouble deciphering the fast steps, the upbeat violin and banjo combo, and the fact that all three of them were sucked in, that she forgot about the timing of her steps. She missed her footing and planted her foot on a piece of paper, causing her to stumble into a cymbal. She staggered backwards, but recovered herself just in time to see Ichika dance round with Cecilia.

"Are you kidding me?!" Houki was about to plow into them, but Lincoln intercepted.

"Come on, let's ride!" Lincoln eased her along.

"Wait, I-this-we can't-" Houki saw Ichika and Cecilia actually having fun. And she got swept into it with Lincoln. He was too busy smiling and trying to outstep the others that...she unexplainably got caught in the fervor, too. More so than any of the three combined. She got into Lincoln's groove and timed herself with the beat. She even found herself swinging a drumstick with Ichika. She made such a ruckus that she got them all kicked out.

And yet none of them cared.

"What was that?!" Cecilia laughed, "What was that atrocious YEEEE-HAAAAA you were on about?!"

"You're going more western than me!" Lincoln quipped, "Shame on you!"

"I...I dunno what came over me...It just...it just took over my body..." Houki's hands didn't stop shaking.

"It must've been her violining," Ichika said, "How'd you get so good at the violin?"

Out of Cecilia's mouth came, "Well, I had a mother-" that. "-who prided herself on giving me only the best, top notch education, but even the most complex of classical music was far beneath my level of finesse-"

"Wait a sec..." And Houki caught her slip up, "Had a mother?"

Cecilia flinched, "Uh...did I say had?! I meant-"

"Well, where is she now-GWMMBMMM!"

"Ok! While we're here," Lincoln hopped on her back and covered her mouth, "why don't we just grab a bite to eat?!"

"Uh-yeah, good call!" Ichika walked away, "You guys find a table, and I'll grab some food!"

"Why don't I accompany you?" Cecilia grabbed his hand.

"Uh, you don't have to-"

"Hey, can you grab us some ramen?!" Lincoln shouted.

"I'd prefer Italian..." Cecilia muttered.

"I think he'll be just fine with-" Houki tried to intervene,

but Lincoln managed to calm her down, "It's ok, Houki. It's just for one day. Everything will go back to normal tomorrow."

"Yeah, but it's just-" Houki was suddenly on to him and him, "Hold up. You know something about her, don't you?"

"Dangit..." Lincoln's bluff was called, "Ok, let's find a table, cause this is gonna be a long talk..."

After a good five minutes of withstanding the unbearably long lines, Ichika and Cecilia finally made it to Lincoln and Houki's table.

"And the next thing I knew," Ichika said, "I'm trapped in a mechanized lumpy boardhouse with nary a clue on how to avoid unnecessary contact with these weirdly curious feminimities."

"Well, that's the nature of our world now," Cecilia said, "Perhaps you and your fellow teammate can lead the tour into your psyche? I know I'd be the first in line to learn the true story behind your rise to fame."

"Ehehe, when I have the time...or sanity," Ichika sat beside Houki, who moved in closer to him at the same time Cecilia sat beside him.

"It is borderline creepy how in sync you were at that moment," Lincoln commented.

"It's something unique to females," Cecilia explained, "I believe my friend called it the~~~"

Houki drowned the conversation out. She tried to figure out a way to get back on Ichika's side and get Cecilia out. But the more she brainstormed, the murkier her thoughts became. Not because she couldn't find a way, but because every single solution required the dreaded first step: tell him how she felt throughout the six years she hadn't seen him. And there was no way she's gonna tell him outright-

"Hokey Houki!" Cecilia shouted, "We're on to you!"

"Waa-uh...yes?" Houki somehow sat out the entire lunch talk.

"Ugh...ok, what is on your mind?" Cecilia demanded, "It is out of your character to just zone out during our friendly banter."

"Uh...well..." Houki rattled her mind for some kind of escape route, "I was...thinking about what movie to watch! Yeah, what should we do at the movies!"

"And then, we can hit the arcade, right?" Lincoln piped.

"I'm not sure you'll want to," Cecilia said, "I've been itching to see Grudge for a long time."

Lincoln recognized the g-word, "The har...Huh?!"

"Are you sure you can handle such a horrific horror?" Houki taunted, "I've been through every single one of those movies, and I still have a hard time getting over them."

"I couldn't get through the first movie even with my sister," Ichika said, "Maybe we should see something else?"

"Nonsense!" Cecilia said, "We're all old enough to withstand a measly PG-13 horror flick. Right, Lincoln? Uh...Lincoln?"

Lincoln's mind resurrected every single scene of The Harvester. Even now, when the soda leaked from his mouth, he never truly forgot the graphic kills or the heart-shredding suspense. The thing was, that was an R-rated movie from months ago. Maybe he could toughen up just enough to take on a croaking old hag with a serious hair problem...

"Hello, Lincoln?"

"Do we have to?..."

...or not. The moment they stood in front of the theater was a wake up call for everyone except Cecilia. A harsh reminder that this was real.

"We have to..." Lincoln muttered.

"Uh...I don't feel so good..." Ichika gripped Houki's hand tightly.

"Well, we're here now, " Houki said, "Moght as well get this over with."

"Indeed," Cecilia couldn't look away from the hand holding, "Well, shall we?"

"Uh, gimme a couple seconds," Lincoln stayed behind to get his pent-up emotions out of his system, "*LONG INHALE* **AAAAATHEHARHARHARTHEHARHARHARTHEHARHARHARAAAAA**-ok, I'm over it." Then, he walked inside to join his friends in the conquest.

**—97 MINUTES LATER—**

Ichika, Houki, and Lincoln walked out of the theater with their sanities largely intact.

"That train scene _almost _derailed the experience for me," Ichika commented.

"I barely got through it," Houki panted, "They didn't go overboard; they went subtle as all hell!"

"Kinda bored me a little bit," Lincoln feigned bravado.

Houki jumped, "Eh?! How are you not flinching at the sound of the *CROOOOOOOOAK*"

"EEK!"

"Whoa, ok!" Ichika settled her down, "We don't need that in the open..."

"It's all psychological horror," Lincoln said, "That, I can handle."

"Speaking of, where'd Cecilia go?" Ichika looked behind him and saw her slowly walking out the theater, eyes and mouth wide open like she had her life sucked out of her. Ichika and Houki gripped each other tighter at the sight of her.

Lincoln just touched her skirt, "Hello?"

"**YAAAAAAAAAAAAA**!" Cecilia's scream caused her and Lincoln to cower and run behind the door for cover.

"Guess we don't have to ask how the movie was," Ichika said.

"What were they thinking going in the attic...or the train...or...or...or..."

"Hey, it's ok," Ichika comforted her, "It's just a movie. I'm sure it'll blow over once we get to the arcade-GYAK-"

"But what if we're attacked while our minds are drowning in those static supernatural mediums?!" Cecilia shoved her face in his, "What then, I ask you?!"

"Then, we come out in the open," Lincoln said, "That thing can't withstand the power of the IS, can it?"

"Maybe the arcade will help you forget about that little whacko..." Ichika suggested.

"Uh, sure..." Houki said while dragging Ichika along, "We should...Right now..."

"O...k..." Lincoln shook his head and helped Cecilia along, "Come on. Let's move before they steal all the tickets."

They finally made it to the arcade, with a few hours to spare. Ichika took everyone inside, and they came across the DDR stations.

"Aw, I love these!" Lincoln said.

"Really? How come?" Houki asked.

"Something about the soundtrack and the rhythm of the feet. At the arcade back home, this is the first thing I'd hop on with my friends."

"Well, now I'm curious!" Ichika said, "Anyone wanna play a match?"

Houki was about to ask for a match against Ichika, but she noticed that Cecilia hasn't said a word. Or put on a haughty face.

"Care for a bout?" Lincoln tossed a coin into the machine.

"Oh, you are on!" Ichika rubbed his hands and prepared to dance battle with Lincoln.

Houki couldn't take her eyes off Cecilia's post-Grudge expression, given the information she was told at lunch, "Ok, lady. You're creeping me out..."

"Oh, I am?..." Cecilia reverted to her normal self, "And what in heaven's name would give you that idea?"

"Um..." Houki cringed, "About the train accident..."

"Ah! What do you know?! How much do you know?! Who told you what?!"

"No one...I was there when it happened..."

During the six years that Houki went into hiding, she would be transported by guarded cars whenever there was a kendo tournament. Two years before she transferred to IS Academy, she was riding a taxi beside the train carrying Cecilia and her mom and dad. She was having a mental rundown herself, having spent a good amount of time learning to control her own emotions, when a bomb exploded and derailed the train, making it run into the field next to her. The taxi was forced to stop. She darted out of the car and ran headfirst into the car Cecilia was in. She used a sword to smash through everything that blocked the passengers' escape route. She eventually cleared the way for a rescue crew to evacuate anyone who survived. Strangely, the only person who survived unscathed was an unconscious Cecilia, while the parents and their attendants were dead.

Houki had to leave before Cecilia woke up. And she forgot all about that incident until Lincoln reminded her.

"Unbelievable..." Cecilia whispered.

"I know," Houki said, "What are the odds?..."

Cecilia quickly regained her demeanor, "Yes, it is quite unbelievable for a good little troll to suddenly lose all her inherent flaws for one instant."

"Uh...thanks?..." Houki wondered why she even bothered.

But that was just another front Cecilia put on, "No, no, I'm just kidding."

"BUH-"

"Actually, I didn't know you had that kind of past. I thought that you would have a lavish lifestyle with your own sister being the creator."

"Creator of something that could potentially destroy the world? No, that wouldn't be very lavish at all."

And the two kept chatting with each other until the boys finished their best-of-three. Completely unaware that the boys were listening in on the conversation while working their legs to jelly.

"Hey, Ichika," Lincoln whispered, "It's working."

"Then, let's keep it going," Ichika hopped off.

From then on, it was a paring mix match. They swapped partners with each new game they played, and there were some intense games. Laser tag, racing, shooting games, even a trivia game where no one scored any points except Lincoln who scored one and then lost it on the bonus round. They all had fun, during the games, and in-between games, when they had short exchanges about past exploits.

But it was the bowling and dinner combo that drew the most attention. They decided that the past had more treasures than they realized, so Cecilia came up with: Truth of Strike. Ten frame game; get a strike, or answer a question about your past. It was funny, fun...and heavy.

By the end of frame eight... "AGG! WHAAAAAHAHAHAHAHAAAAIIIIIIIIII?!" Lincoln had knocked down nine. He was forced to accept his fifth spare in a row.

"Oh, so close, and yet so far," Cecilia winced.

"That has got to be some bad luck..." Ichika facepalmed.

"Luck...ick..." Lincoln groaned as he threw the ball into the lone standing pin.

"Come on, Linc," Ichika said after answering a weirdly bouncy question, "It can't be that bad."

"Who would ask about a preference to a girl's BOOBULAR regions?!" Lincoln snapped.

"Just come up here and take your question like a man," Houki made him come back for his onion rings.

"Ok, what's the question?" Lincoln ate.

"Well, you're never one to act all grumpy," Ichika noted.

"Am I?"

"You're wearing the troll droll," Cecilia said, "Though not nearly as dreadful as the one to my right."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Houki scowled.

"Uh, he's not really fond of the thing," Ichika said, "Let's get to the question, ok?"

"What a shame," Cecilia taunted while Houki prepared her next bowl, "because that indeed is my question. Why did you react to the thing?"

"What thing?" Lincoln worried.

"Oh, boy..." Ichika said, "She's onto you..."

"Indeed," Cecilia leaned in, "and a gentleman must never back away from anything hardship that he encounters."

_("...the same strategy can be used on family members...just friends with restrictions.")_

_("It means, nothing's changed between you and your family. Just casually bring it up in small talk like it's not a big deal.")_

_("Ugh...passive-aggressive, my foot.")_

"*SIGH...* Ok, if you insist..." Lincoln sheepishly swallowed his serenity and explained the deal with the word "luck". And his story caused such a stir in the girls that Cecilia dropped her ice cream on her lap, and Houki accidentally threw the bowling ball into the alley beside her.

Ichika showed little reaction, having heard the story before, "Crazy, right?..."

"I could've sworn your family just tried to kill you..." Houki wasn't paying attention to her next attempt.

"How, in the name of every single god known to man, were you able to forgive them?" Cecilia growled.

"I dunno," Lincoln chuckled, "I guess I'm just that type of guy."

"Are you aware of the dire situation you were just in?!" Cecilia shouted, "The nerve of the parents to lock a minor out of their own house! If I ever see them in person, I'm going to-"

"Cycle! Cycle! It's the cycle!" Lincoln calmed her down, "Trying not to start the cycle..."

"Is it really worth the price of endangerment? Surely, you have factored in the dangers of piloting an IS over wasting a night of pneumonia!"

"And yet, they sound much more appealing than outright cutting off from my family."

"Uh-..." Cecilia was taken back by his absolute devotion.

"Hey, you asked..."

"Ok! Moving right along!" Ichika shouted, "Houki! You missed your first shot! Why don't you have a seat and we'll get your question ready?!"

"Uh-Yeah! Sure!" Houki bumped Cecilia out of the seat.

"Oof! Well, if that's how the game must progress," Cecilia brushed her pants off, "we are not done with this conversation, Loud." and prepared her shot.

"Ok, as if you peepers don't know enough about me already..." Houki groaned, "...but go ahead. Ask away."

"Ooh! I got one!" Lincoln piped, "What's the deal with this morning?"

"What deal..."

"The extra brutal..." Lincoln shuddered, "Mr. and Mrs. Smith type...kendo deal..."

"Hey, yeah!" Ichika agreed, "I kept asking you why you were in such a bad mood, but you never gave me a straight answer!"

"Guh! That's..." Houki looked away, "that's completely irrelevant..."

"Irrelevant, if not for the fact that Lincoln and I witnessed your brutality firsthand that morning," Cecilia said as she threw the ball into the center, and knocked down eight.

"You...SAW?!" Houki dropped her drink.

"Everything," Lincoln said.

Houki went to her sushi, "Geez. I was jealous, ok-YIPE!" She momentarily forgot who was beside her.

"Jealous of whaaaaaat?" Cecilia slyly smirked and pushed the ball with her feet into the empty black.

"Dangit..." Houki dropped her head in defeat, "That newspaper photo...thing..."

"And two plus two equals five!" Lincoln said.

"It's just a newspaper shoot," Ichika said, "not a prom photo."

"What in-" Houki stuttered, "How can you say tha-"

"Oh?" Cecilia giggled, "Is my glimmering figure starting to change your perception of couples and boys? Perhaps I could find it in my heart to give you a tip if you would allow me quality time with your childhood friend."

"Oh, I can give you a couple tips as well," Houki smirked, "like how annoying your hair is when it's in my wasabi..."

"Just saying," Cecilia settled in, "You wouldn't look so putrid if you started smiling," wink, "or speaking your mind."

"Speaking of," Lincoln saw the foot that aimed the ball, "What's up with your sudden fascination with Ichika?"

"Uh-How can you call it a fascination?!" Cecilia went off again, "It's more than fair to say it's a connec...tion..."

Ichika was stunned, "Aaaaah...I'll take my shot now..." He scurried off the chair.

"And you can explain yourself while we're still here," Houki got in her face.

"Dangit..." Cecilia has to own up to her words, "my father was a caring man...that's it. Apart from that, he was such a spoiled brat. Always giving problems to my mother, always goofing off and freeloading whenever he felt like...he's the exact opposite of an ideal man, a strong man...dutiful."

"You could tell they were the ideal men from one lousy fight?" Houki was confused.

"We're approaching shoujo romance levels of cheese, people," Lincoln cringed.

"Alright!" Ichika managed to drown out that weird mix of emotional answer and claim a strike, "I'm safe!"

"Oh, that's my turn," Lincoln muttered.

"Nah, I'm sure your luck will turn around," Ichika bumped fists.

"Blech..." Lincoln bumped back and yanked a ball from the rack.

"He really doesn't like that word, does he?" Cecilia asked.

"And he wants to completely let it go," Ichika said, "He's still trying to find the ends of existence to drop it off."

"I wonder if that's all he's searching for," Cecilia looked on as Lincoln hit the sweet spot and knocked everything down.

"HOT DIGGITY DAWG!" Lincoln screamed, "I AM baaaaaaaaaaaaaack!"

"Oh my god..." Houki stood up, "No one touch my food." She prepped her stance as Lincoln went back to his burger.

"The drought is finally over! I can finally relax a little," Lincoln munched down.

And he finished the game with three more strikes, and a question to Cecilia whether or not the monorail scared her into taking the bridge to school.

When they got back to the campus, they delayed their bedtime with a walk in the school park.

"Well, I'd say the play date ended on a positive note," Lincoln stretched.

"I guess..." Houki said while looking to the stars.

"Are you disappointed that you didn't get your precious alone time with you-know-who?" Cecilia asked.

"Like you weren't?..."

"Oh, right," Ichika said, "The class league tournament is coming up."

"Oh yeah, you're the rep now," Lincoln said, "How are you gonna fare against the other classes?"

"No idea..."

"Well, if you're interested," Cecilia offered, "I can train you in the art of long ranged weaponry."

"Huh?!" Houki threw a fit, "Hold up! I'm the one who's training him!"

"And the mood is ruined..." Lincoln whispered.

"Oh, I am aware of your complicated relationship with your sister," Cecilia said, "but are you well versed in long range ISs?"

"I think I know just enough to teach him how to avoid your pesky bullets and flying saucers."

"Oh, that's all Lincoln's doing! All you've done is recklessly swing a stick back and forth."

"Well...at least they're talking..." Ichika whispered.

And that was that for the day. The boys stood there while the girls continued to bicker all the way to the residence hall.

That was the second evening that Lincoln stayed past midnight. While his roommate was fast asleep, he couldn't drift off. He was still thinking about the moments that he helped create. And how eerily alike his new friends were to his own family. He knew it would be a great honor to be chosen as a Representative, but that couldn't be all there was. He did make friends, but he was still in competition with them. Much like he was in competition with his sister's back home, for the more trivial stuff.

"Hahhhh...just can't break free, can I..."

He decided to check his email once more. That's when he saw two new messages sent to him:

**Hey, bro, this is a weird one. A pink haired woman with a weird obsession with rabbits dropped by earlier and started moving into our space. We had a wicked jam session, she totaled Lynn's tetherball title, and started showing Lisa your weird IS mumbo jumbo. She said you don't know her, but she knows us extremely well... and she knows you too well. Ummmm, need some clarification here, dude.**

**-Lunes**

**PS: Lola says that she's not narcissistic.**

**Ok, some woman with a sick obsession with rabbits just dropped by and dumped a whole bunch of unnecessary information about us on us. And she _really _took a liking to you. Are you seeing other girls? Is there anything you wanna spill? Are we gonna expect ten more "sisters" to bombard us?**

**-Literally_Lori**

"That's new..." Lincoln took a moment to respond before heading back to dreamland.


	10. Rin, Lynn, What's the Difference?

Tuesday Morning. 06:45. Lincoln was sleeping when he was awoken by a notification sent straight to his IS's communication channel:

**Good morning, Mr. Loud.**

**You have a package waiting for you in the school post office. Please come pick it up before classes start this morning.**

**—IS ACADEMY ADMIN**

"Wuh..." Lincoln groaned, "Oh, this boarding school high school-BLUGH..." he plopped his head back on his pillow.

08:12. After he wolfed his food down, he was given a map of the campus/island.

"Gggg..." but he couldn't understand it and wandered around, "What's with this...too much detail...who designed this map?!"

"You lost or something?"

"Huh? Who's..." it's the twin-tailed girl he saw earlier, "Actually, I was looking for the post office."

"Oh, I wouldn't know where that is. This place is a little big for five hundred something girls. Wait, you're not actually a student here, are you?"

"As a matter of fact..." he pulled out his ID card.

"No way!" The girl exclaimed, "The world's youngest pilot?!"

"Ah..." Lincoln checked the time, "I gotta get going!"

"Wait, How?"

"I...guess I'll ask someone?" Lincoln scampered through the trees and sidewalks.

"Uuuuh, I wouldn't do that if I were you..." and she followed closely behind.

"Why?"

She peeked over her shoulders to see if anyone tried to keep up with them. And she whispered, "One time, during my first day of 6th grade, I got lost and asked for directions to the admin's office. But I was sent on a wild goose chase through parts unknown. I didn't see the light of day until school was over."

"BUH...there's girls like that?..."

"Hey, Chinese middle schools can get super competitive-BPFPF!"

In the midst of all that running, Lincoln's shoelaces came undone; he ended up tripping over and taking her down with him. They smacked themselves in the bushes in front of the building they were looking for.

"My leg..." Lincoln shook himself out of the bushes and brushed himself off.

"Well, at least we found what we're looking for," the girl said, "What are you supposed to get anyway?"

"No idea."

"Uh, so," she said as they walked in, "You're in Ichika's class?"

"Yeah, and it's exhausting," Lincoln said while signing some paperwork, "Those women won't leave us alone..."

"Hm..." the girl thought of something else, "I think I know what'll ease your conscience."

"What's that?" Lincoln received his package, and a note...

**Enjoy your new toys, nerd.**

**-AAdsz**

"How about we have a race?" The girl suggested.

Back in Class 1-1, Ichika was waiting for the school day to begin, when he overheard a conversation between his classmates:

"The class league match is coming up soon!"

"Oh, that's right! Have you heard that the representative of Class 1-2 has changed?"

"Yeah. Now, it's that new transfer student, whatsherface."

"A transfer student..." he wondered, "at this time of the year?"

"Yeah!" A classmate said, "Supposedly, she's from China."

"Hmph," Cecilia pumped herself up, "I wonder if she transferred to the IS Academy in order to study my techniques."

"Well, I'm sure curious," Ichika said, "I bet she's good."

"Well," another classmate commented, "the only classes that have students with a personal IS are Classes 1 and 4, so we'll be fine."

"That information is outdated!" The same twin-tailed girl who challenged Lincoln to a race...and won by a long shot...interrupted the conversation to give her introduction, "The Representative from Class 1-2 now has a personal IS as well, so it's not gonna be easy to win anymore."

"No way..." Ichika recognized her right away, "Is that really you, Rin?"

"That's right! I'm Rin Fan, China's Representative Contender!" Rin pointed her finger at him, "And I've come here to declare war!"

"And Ambobbacle Bwah..." Thank goodness no one noticed Lincoln slip past her...or collapse beside the teacher's desk, "Unbelievable...another Representative Contender..."

"Exactly who is that new girl?" Cecilia said, "She seems much too friendly with Ichika!"

But Ichika had other thoughts, "Hah! Good one!" Much to Rin's confusion, "Coming in and acting like a show off! That is so unlike you, Rin!"

"What?!" Rin couldn't believe he didn't hear the R and C words, "Why would you say something like that about me huh?!" Someone planted some knuckles on her head, "GHG! Oww, that hurt..." she turned around and snapped, "WHAT DID YOU THAT FOR-uh..."

Not realizing that it was Chifuyu. "Consider That Your homeroom bell being run," she said a few seconds before the homeroom bell actually rung.

"Chi..." Rin faltered while Lincoln scrambled to get in his seat, "Chifuyu?!"

"That's Miss Orimura," Chifuyu walked in, "Now, go back to your own class. You're in the way."

"Uh, I'm sorry, ma'am..." She bowed before giving her last declaration, "Ok, but I'll be back later, so don't you run away, Ichika! HMPH!" And she stormed off back to her own class.

"I can't believe it..." Lincoln panted, "I just raced a Rep Contender..."

"Loud!"

"Wah!" He zoned out and stood up, "Yes, ma'am!"

The class laughed.

"Ah, no need for you to come to attention," Maya said, "but I just needed to make sure you remembered that question you asked on the first day of school."

"I di-Huh?..."

Lunch was interesting for Lincoln. Aside from the race loss resulting in him having to treat both Ichika and Rin to lunch...

"You could have knocked me over, Rin!" Ichika said, "I can't believe you're Class 2's new transfer! You should've contacted me!"

"Don't be stupid," Rin joked, "If I had done that, it would totally ruin our dramatic reunion!"

"Uh-huh. Is that maybe because you still have some issues with my big sister?"

"Wuh?" Lincoln's mind raced back to the time he and Ichika were forced to clean up the mess they made.

"I don't have issues with her," Rin said, "It's just...I don't know how to handle her."

"Bupgh..." Lincoln shuddered at the thought, "Ok, two piping hot ramen bowls on the house!"

"Aw, thanks little guy!" Rin said.

"Wait, you're not eating?" Ichika asked him.

"Oh, I had plenty this morning," Lincoln rubbed his stomach.

Later, when they settled into their meal...

"Not seen each other for a year?" Lincoln exclaimed, "Sheesh, time don't wait for no one..."

"I know! I was seriously thrown for a loop when I heard you and Ichika got into the Academy!" Rin said.

"Think you were surprised?" Ichika ate his bite, "The last thing I expected was to wind up in a place like this."

"I heard you two operated an IS during your entrance exams," Rin wondered, "but how on earth could something like that happen?"

"Uh, we couldn't tell you if our lives depended on it," Lincoln said, and lied about his origins, "All we know is that we got lost and found out by complete accident."

"Lincoln got lost looking for a ball in the woods," Ichika said, "and I got lost in a giant multipurpose facility looking for the right entrance exam room."

"We put one hand on the thing, and it responded," Lincoln said, "and I wet myself when I heard that only females could control an IS." (Liar.)

"Well, a lot of crap happened after that," Ichika contemplated, "Next thing I knew, I wound up here."

"Wow, That is weird..." Rin had something to say...

"Guh..." But Lincoln saw Houki and Cecilia approaching their table, with very stern faces, "Two incoming..."

"Oh boy," Ichika muttered, "Looks like moments are prohibited..."

Four hands slammed on the table, bringing the conversation to a halt.

"Ichika, I think it's about time you gave me an explanation," Houki demanded.

"That's right, you had better explain this!" Cecilia harshly demanded, "Don't tell me you're actually dating this transfer student now!"

"Yep, it's a pattern," Lincoln ducked under the table.

"Wha-It's not like that at all! I swear!" Rin rushed an answer.

"It's true!" Ichika said, "We're just childhood friends, that's all!" And he saw Rin react unfavorably to that, "What's wrong with you?"

"Nothing's wrong," Rin uttered, "I'm fine."

"Is it really nothing?" Lincoln pulled a Lucy and got around to Rin's side. Again, no one noticed and just got into an argument about friendship levels.

"AAAAA! How did you-" Rin was cut off by Lincoln,

"You didn't look fine when he copied what you said."

"Well...You could say that we're more than friends! So..."

"Oh? Then, what's your relationship status, huh?"

This time, Rin gave Lincoln the cold shoulder, "You're being awfully nosy for a measly 11-year-old, you know that?"

"Having to fend off 10 sisters on the daily will do that to you."

"GCKPMHJH..." Rin shivered, "I'm gonna pretend I didn't hear that..."

"Excuse me?!" Cecilia forced her way into their conversation, "Don't you dare try to tune me out!"

"What's that?" Rin smiled, "I wasn't interested, so I didn't catch that."

"I...I can't believe you said that..." Cecilia was about to blow a fuse.

"Scary faces..." Lincoln slowly backed away from the table, "Really scary faces..." He watched the group squabble over visiting and training and who knows what else, and the only thing he got out of it was that Rin's family owned a restaurant...and something might've happened to the dad. "Why do I get the feeling that there's more loose threads they didn't bother with before they reunite here of all places?"

After school, Ichika and Lincoln made it to the training area, where they, under Kim's guidance, somehow successfully installed AAdsz's package into the Savvy Suite, without breaking anything.

"And then that part goes here..." Ichika played around with the holographic touchscreen.

"Yes," Kim said, "Now, finalize the changes."

"I think this is how it's done," Lincoln clacked away on the control panel.

"Oh?" Cecilia popped in, "Are you two doing some extra credit work already?"

"Sort of," Lincoln said, "I got a package and I'm trying to...uh...aha!" He pressed a button and suddenly a green check mark popped up, along with a list of accepted changes to his IS:

SAVVY SUITE UPGRADE:

CARD PROTECTION - ALLY MATERIALIZATION WILL CONSUME LESS SHIELD ENERGY

EXPANSION PACK - SIMULTANEOUSLY MATERIALIZE UP TO THREE ALLIES IN BATTLE

"Wow," Kim said, "I think you just got a whole lot stronger."

"Heh, if that wasn't obvious," Lincoln quipped.

"Alright, you two better stand clear," Ichika deployed the Byakushiki, "It's about to go haywire."

"What are you on about?" Cecilia stepped in, "I haven't properly prepared myself yet!"

"Huh? I thought we told you, already. Houki's doing the training," Ichika flew out of the pit and met with Houki.

"What the-I do not accept this!" Cecilia ran out into the field.

"Oh boy..." Kim muttered, "Better restore balance before the world implodes again."

"Miss Shinonono!" Cecilia demanded, "Just what in the devil is going on here?! And how did you-"

"I've been given clearance to utilize the training IS," Houki settled herself in the CQC-based training model, "and I'll be using it for Ichika's intensive training."

"Now hold on...that's the Japanese production IS," Cecilia noted, "How on earth could she possibly obtain clearance to use the Uchigane?"

Lincoln saw Houki unsheathe the IS's sword, "Oh, poop deck!"

"Alright, Ichika," Houki drew the katana and prepared for combat, "Let's begin!"

"Right," Ichika took his fighting stance-

"You Wait Just one minute!" Cecilia interrupted and deployed, "I'm the one who's supposed to be conducting Ichika's training! Do you hear me?!"

"Whoa! 2 on 1?!" Lincoln arrived just in time to see the others getting ready to argue again, "Don't you think we might be taking this training thing a little too far?!"

"Do I sense hesitation in you, little Loud?" Cecilia said.

"Maybe you'd care to balance things out then-" Ichika joked right before getting hit by Houki.

"Pay attention, Ichika!" Houki shouted, "Your training starts now!"

"Yep, I'm stepping in," Lincoln was about to deploy his IS-

"Hold it!" But Cecilia stopped him, "Remove your handicap at once!"

"*GULP* Busted..." Lincoln remembered the handicap debacle, "What for..."

"If you are a man, you would not hold back against anyone regardless of gender," Cecilia said, "Besides, a small restriction relief won't make a huge difference."

"Well...if you insist..." Lincoln removed the handicap and deployed, "Strong Suit!"

SAVVY SUITE - SHIELD 123/137%

"WHAT ON EARTH?!" Cecilia saw it. It was a huge difference.

"Oh, I remember you, drill shrill," Strong Suit grinned as she materialized a 750 pound barbell, "This ain't gonna go down like last time!"

And that was it for the introduction. The rest of the session progressed as normal; at first, it was Ichika vs Houki, and Lincoln vs Cecilia. Occasionally, they would switch partners to mix it up a little, but the very instant Cecilia released her drones five minutes into the skirmish, all pretense of standard training went out the window. Lincoln was too busy avoiding the drones' endless lasers to notice everything else, and he rammed right into Ichika's sword, in the corner pocket. That caused Ichika the misfortune of being shoved into Houki's chest and suffering a thousand slashes. Houki was too angry to feel Cecilia's drones pummeling her, but she definitely noticed Strong Suit ("MAD DOG!") knocking her across the arena, ramming her into Cecilia's arms. Cecilia's charged rifle misfired and hit a drone, but instead of getting destroyed, the drone went haywire and started blasting whoever was in an IS. From that point onward, it was nothing but bumper car battle royale, if bumper cars could fly.

By training's end, all ISs had disappeared due to having zero shield energy left, and everyone was either on their back or slumped on their face, exhausted and sweating.

Except, of course, Strong Suit, "Wow, y'all's teamwork sucks! There's no coordination or chemistry between any of you, just this superficial attraction-BLECH!"

"How dare you...you scoundrel..." Cecilia pointed something.

"Save it for...solitaire confinement..." Lincoln panted.

"Blah blah blah your needs," Strong Suit dropped her barbell, which shook the ground and bounced everyone upward, "Call me when you actually get some threads in those metal bumper cars you call weapons, ok?" And with that, she fizzled out of existence.

"Ugh...I'm gonna hurl..." Lincoln moaned.

"Can't you do something about that woman?..." Ichika groaned.

"I was explicitly told not to hold back," Lincoln rolled over on his back, before realizing what he just said.

"What?!" Houki turned to Cecilia, "The hell were you thinking?!"

"Well, I didn't want to leave-"

"Guys!" Lincoln shouted, and everyone piped down, "What say we call it an day and head back to our rooms, yeah?"

"Uh-good idea!" Ichika swayed the girl's' opinion, "I'm pooped..." he tried moving his legs, "My legs..."

"Please, you only feel that way because you haven't kept up your training," Houki stood herself and Cecilia up.

"Well, I suppose I'll see you two tomorrow," Cecilia brushed herself off and walked away.

"And what are you still doing down there?" Houki asked, "We should head back, right?"

"Uh...trying..." Lincoln pulled a muscle where he didn't want to, "BOOOOOOOOoooooooogh..."

"I'm a war clawler..." Ichika clawed his way to Lincoln.

"That's it for Johnson and Johnson..."

"Hahhhhh, what am I gonna do with you?" Houki smiled, "Alright, Then. I'll see you tomorrow, Ichika."

Back in the locker room, the boys had ice packs all over their body.

"Dangit...I was this close..." Lincoln prevented the cycle from restarting at the last second.

"At least it's over," Ichika thought he meant the frenzy and sat himself up, "I wonder if it's gonna be this bad all the way to the Class League match..."

"Ohohohooooo, vee ah so sssSCRED!"

"Heeeey, good work out there, you two!" Rin called over, "You're ok with a sports drink, aren't you?" She handed each of them a drink, "Here!"

"Oh, thanks Rin," Ichika popped it open, "Have you really been waiting for me this whole time?"

"Eheheh, You could say that," Rin sat down beside him.

"I knew it," Lincoln groaned still reeling from the pain, "You're more than friends."

Rin growled and said, "Don't you have some other girl to buzz around or something?"

"She's all the way in Michigan..."

"**WHAT?!**" Rin jumped, "Y-y-y-y-y...you already have a-HOW?!"

"Tell you later..." Lincoln deployed his wing units, "I'm gonna prepare for tomorrow's slaughterfest..."

"Try not to sing so loud this time!" Ichika poked.

Lincoln moaned and flapped his way back to his room, on the way thinking about what kind of sweet talk Rin would attempt to give Ichika now that they were alone.

But when he got back to his room, he received a peculiar email:

**I was heckled by my classmates to write a poem about you, so I did. And knowing me, you can probably guess what it was about:**

**"We couldn't care for you, so we had to lose you.**

**We used all the luck in the world just to abuse you.**

**If ever a chance came to say,**

**it would never make it go away."**

**I believe that should fulfill the "tragedy " requirement begotten of any superhero.**

**-Lucy **

"I can't find the ends of existence either," Lincoln said as he checked his IS's settings. He noticed three square icons, two empty and one with Lynn's face on it. He moved his finger to the face, and up popped a portrait of "cosplay" Lynn, with some choice words:

ALLY: STRONG SUIT (ATTACK TYPE) - SHIELD 15%

"Heh, I'm getting homesick alright," Lincoln started to type up a response to the email, when he heard a knock on the door, "Uh...come in!"

"Heeeey, got a moment?" Rin popped her head in.

"Rin? You're not gonna ask for a roommate change, are you?"

"Hah, no! Actually...it's more important than that..."

Five seconds later...between the twin beds...

"And that's why we should switch training partners!" Rin said to Houki...while holding Ichika's hand...uy.

"Is your brain malfunctioning?!" Houki shouted, "Why switch with me?!"

"Am I missing something here?..." Ichika muttered while Houki and Rin argued.

"Heck if I know," Lincoln said, "I just got here...what happened anyway?"

"Well, Rin and I were reconnecting. We were talking about some promise I made, but Houki forgot her ribbon and came back. She saw us talking and came at us, and then..."

"Ok, then let's ask someone who's seen it first hand!" Rin said, "Got a moment, Lincoln?"

"Uh..." Lincoln jolted, "helpmeppo?..."

"This." Ichika groaned.

"If you had to choose between me or...Miss Violence Bamboo Blade over there...who would you pick?" Rin forced a hefty choice on him.

"Don't ignore me, you troll up!" Houki screamed.

"Hey, isn't this supposed to be Ichika's choice?" Lincoln shoved it back to Ichika.

"Whaddaya looking at me for?" Ichika said.

"Fine, then," Houki dropped her duffel bag, "Since it's come to this-" and drew out her signature WOODEN BLADE?!

"GOOD GOD, WOMAN!" Ichika shouted.

"Hit the deck!" Lincoln prepared to block the sword-

"Allow me," but Rin got in front of both of them. The instant Houki swung down, Rin deployed just one arm, and caught the blade with her robotic hand.

"Partial deployment?! And so fast!" Ichika whispered.

"You know," Rin said, "you would've severely injured a normal person just now."

Houki was appalled at how a prettier, and more vocal childhood friend could overpower her, and dropped her sword in defeat.

"Well, I'll be off now," Rin withdrew her arm and walked away, leaving the boys befuddled with that last clash of arms.

But then Ichika suddenly remembered, "Hey, I almost forgot! You were talking about some kind of promise. What was it about?"

"Eh? Oh, that's right.." Rin affectionately went back to his side, "Well, you know...it's just...you do remember, Don't you?"

"Let's see...was it that I would eat your Sweet and Sour Pork every day if you became a better cook?"

"Yeah, that's it!" Rin brightened up, while Lincoln blushed.

"And it'd be your treat, right?"

"Wuuuh..." Rin suddenly deadpanned, while Lincoln keeled over.

"That's it! You promised to treat me to a meal every day, right? That'd be awesome since I'm still single a-ACK!" Ichika was interrupted by a slap, "Uh...what was-"

"WHAT A JERK!"

"Oh, my head..." Lincoln propped himself up at a bad time.

"How could you not remember the secret promise you made to a girl?!" Rin went off on Ichika, "You're the most despicable guy ever! I hope a dog bites you to death!"

"I don't understand what the problem is!" Ichika snapped back, "I remembered the promise, didn't I?!"

"But you didn't get the _meaning _behind it! YOU DIDN'T GET THE _MEANING_!" Rin sneaked a peek at Lincoln, "See?! Even he gets it! So why in the hell can't you understand it?!"

"Well, maybe you should explain to me what the meaning is!"

"You want me to do what?!" Rin was deeply offended, "Why would I explain it to someone who's so dense?!"

"Because if you don't, I will?..." Lincoln whispered, much to Houki's annoyance.

"How about this then?!" Rin threw down, "Next week's the class league match! The loser has to do whatever the winner says!"

"DID WHO NOW?!" Some weird thoughts ran through Lincoln's mind.

"Sure, why not?" Ichika agreed, "And if I win, I'm going to make you explain it to me!"

"Grrr..." Rin got even more offended, "In that case, you better be ready for it!" And with that, she took her leave of the loud room.

Ichika sighed, worn out by the thought of having to fight an angry woman who's already feisty at heart.

Houki was about to say something, "Ichika?"

"Yeah, what is it now?..." Ichika groaned.

Houki inhaled, "I hope a-HBMBM?!"

Lincoln covered her mouth and blurted, "Code White, Level 4."

"Eh?" Ichika was confused at first, "Code White-ULP!" The gears in his head started to turn, and in a few seconds he connected the dots. He promised Rin to eat her signature dish every day if she became a better cook. A woman cooks for a man...a wife cooks for her husband every day. White means purity of love...

He realized... he was so dumb, he couldn't tell a marriage proposal from a coupon for free food.

"Sorry, but can you please step out for a little bit?" Ichika pushed Houki and Lincoln out.

"Hey, what are you-" Houki stammered.

"You're not gonna take long, right?!" Lincoln stuttered.

"I need two minutes," Ichika shoved them into the hallway.

"My stuff is-" Houki didn't have time, as Ichika already closed, locked, and bolted the door shut, "What the heck is wrong with him?"

"He knows the meaning behind the promise," Lincoln said.

"Really..." Houki didn't believe him, "and just what does he think it means, hmm?"

"Well, it-"

"**NOOOOO, GOD!**"

"What the..." Lincoln jolted back.

"Unbelievable," Houki facepalmed.

"**NO, GOD, PLEASE, NO! NO!**"

"He's taking it well..." Lincoln gave her some earplugs.

"**NO!**"

"I'm training him extra hard tomorrow," Houki growled while they both protected their ears.

"**NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO****OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO~~~~~**"

Later that night, while on conference call with Ronnie Anne and Bobby who both had days off...

"BWAAAAAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAH~~~"

"Had I known what that promise really meant, I would never have said yes..." Ichika muffled through the pillow.

"How did you miss something like that?!" Bobby really lost it and rofl'd.

"Honestly," Ronnie Anne calmed down, "you might be an even bigger lame-o than Lame-o here!"

"So, uh...any way out?..." Lincoln asked.

"Nope!" Ronnie Anne said, "She said that the loser has to do whatever the winner says, right?"

"Ohhhhhhh, no," Ichika knew what that meant, "No, no no no no!"

"You have to win this," she said, "and get her to call off the prommmmAAHAHAHAHAH-ok, ok, ok, whew...let's just..."

"It's not like you have a lot to lose, right?" Bobby got all his laughter out of his system, "Besides, you didn't know what it meant, and she refused to explain it to you. So, it technically doesn't count!"

"Whoa, That is harsh," Lincoln muttered.

"I can't just say to her, "Forget I ever made that promise because I'm a dunce." She'll never let me live it down," Ichika rubbed his head.

"Knowing her," Lincoln mused, "I'll bet she'd probably spread some vicious rumor and guilt-trip you into it or something..."

"Ehhhh, I don't think she would do that..."

"Well, you're deep in the rabbit hole now, Ichika," Bobby said, "Might as well put up with it now."

"Are you sure?..."

"Trust me, I've been there before. If you don't do now, while things are mildly bad, you're gonna have to do it later when things are insanely bad."

"Can't argue with that..." Ichika didn't have a choice, "Alright... I'll ask Houki and Cecilia to help me with the upcoming match."

"Sounds like a plan!" Bobby said, "Well, nini, I gotta head off to work now."

"Huh? But I thought you had today off," Ronnie Anne stammered.

"Gramps broke his back with those milk cartons. Besides, the Bodega never takes a day off," Bobby left her alone.

"I'm gonna head off to bed, too," Ichika patted Lincoln, "You have fun with your girlfriend." And he stretched and made for the toilet.

"Ok, Lame-o," Ronnie caught that last bit, "What did you tell them?"

"Hey, I'm trapped here with way more than ten girls...who keep calling me their little brother...I had to do something!"

"Haha, I get it. But still, you could be more subtle. I heard the students over there are all girls who are totally clueless about boys."

"What, is there a study group on males I should know about?"

"Dear god, I hope not."

"Well, I better get going. Bedtime's completely off by a few processes now."

"I hear that. Smell you later, Lame-o."

"Not if I smell you first!"

"Smell me where, boyfriend?" She winked-

"Wuh-HAH?!"

-before shutting off the connection, "HA I SAID IT!" End transmission.

Lincoln got uncomfortable, "So, who else is gonna forget that I'm only 11?..."

The next day, Ichika was cited for causing a loud disturbance in the residence hall. As punishment, he has to attend Saturday morning training with Chifuyu herself.

Saturday morning, and it was a nutty morning, to say the least. The rules for the class league tournament were announced: only the class reps and the top students from each class could participate in a bracket-style tournament, meaning Lincoln got off easy. He was engaging in a family call from home.

"...and that's why ISs aren't that different from MMA uniforms," Lincoln said.

"Now, I'm gonna wanna try to move one of those things!" Lynn said, "If I'd known that it was this action packed, I'd have jumped the shark sooner!"

"But all that work, though...do you really need to know all that?" Lana asked.

"Oh, this is just to be a pilot..." Lincoln groaned, "You have to be smart, fit, and very clear minded to even take a step in it. Not to mention there's researchers, mechanics, operators, and PR Firms."

"Ew, gag. But the mechanic part, though..."

"Wait, what happened to being an astronaut?" Lynn asked.

"Oh, the world got all power-hungry and grabby-greedy," Lincoln said, "They're scared it'll be used as a weapon for war, so now it's being used as a weapon for sport. We basically DragonBall'd the Infinite Stratos into oblivion."

"Aw, that sucks!" Lynn said, "Imagine a space battle with lasers and rockets and energy blades!"

"I think we'd blow up the world while trying to save it..."

"SNEAK ATTACK!" And suddenly, Rin! With her blindfold around his eyes.

"AAAAA! What's happening?! Who broke the door again?!" Lincoln flailed around until he got the thing off, "Guh...what is with you, woman?!"

"Hey, not my fault you're always wandering into the Twilight Zone."

Lynn slapped her forehead, "That's what I've been saying! The guy takes one look into his own conscience...while running...and he rammed the bathroom door down like a foam picket! Into the sink."

"Usually, water blasts him out," Lana added, "He got very luuuuuaaaa-fortunate! Yeah, he was very fortunate that I came to fix it!"

"That's nothing compared to the 2 on 2 he had earlier. He was zoned in so much he smacked into the White Form. It ain't white anymore!"

"Is it orange and blue now?" Lynn piqued.

"With a hint of gray."

"Haaaahahaha-man, I do not understand how the others have to cross arms and pick up the cans!"

"It takes a special kind of intuition, something you cannot be born with-"

"Ok, bye!" Lincoln pushed Rin away from the laptop.

"Hey, what's the problem?"

"What are you even doing here?"

"Looking for Ichika."

Lincoln facepalmed, "Training with Chifuyu."

"Eh?!" Rin jumped, "Wh-wh... I know their siblings, but why her?!"

Lana snickered, "Lori was right...your manners are deteriorating, man."

"I think an etiquette course could clear that right up," Lynn laughed.

"Ok, it's official," Lincoln slumped, "I have assimilated into the high school collective."

"If that's what you're going for," Rin commented, "you're missing a few...dozen...steps."

"Alrighty, we have to head out," Lana waved, "Have fun with your new playmate, bro!"

"Ok, now we're off the deep end," Lynn ended the connection.

"Buh..." Lincoln sighed, "heheh, I'm getting homesick."

"Feeling's mutual...sort of..." Rin said, "but why would Ichika be off with the Brunhilde?"

Lincoln winced at the many reactions she could have, considering the misunderstood promise fiasco, "Hey, are you hungry?"

"Ok, weird...what's the punchline?"

Breakfast time was very tense. After Lincoln explained why the special training and why the noise, Rin was angered to the point of wordlessness. She unwittingly snapped her chopsticks in half and had to misappropriate his. He plucked the broken pair out of his tuff of hair and used those to eat, while Kim and Akina consoled Rin.

"I can't believe he did that!" Akina said, "No warning, no plea deal, just a straight up no!"

"That lousy good-for-nothing friend-handling jerkface!" Rin slurped her ramen, "When I see him in the class league match, I'm gonna pound him into putty!"

"Aren't you overreacting a bit?..." Lincoln asked.

"What do you know, pipsqueak?!"

"Nothing...nothing."

"Well, it happened to you," Kim made it worse, "Who's to say that it won't happen to anyone else?"

"I'm wondering what _other_ promises he made to that Hokey whatsherface," Rin growled, "if he even remembers any of them!"

"Surely there must be a way to get back at him," Kim said.

"Wait, didn't you make a bet with Ichika?" Akina made Lincoln spit his mouthful at the plants.

"Bet?" Rin remembered the bet she made...and the people who witnessed the bet she made, "Hmm..." then diverted one eye to one of those people.

"Well, I'd love to stay and chat, but I better scurry off to weekend tutorials-" Lincoln quickly deployed his wing units-

"HOLD IT!"

"EEK-AaAaAaAaAaAaAaOOOooooogh..."

-but Rin deployed her arm and grabbed them, causing him to spin up and down until he was sat hanging from the table, "Didn't you fight alongside Ichika at the Class Rep Runoffs?"

"*GULP*...yes?..."

Rin dragged him to Arena 3, where they hid in the stands to spy on the Orimura family training.

"I don't know what's more disturbing," Lincoln whispered, "the fact that we're spying on family matters, or the fact that the construction guys ripped off the Saiyan body armor just to make Arena 5."

"Shut it, lame brain!" Rin whispered, "We're just doing reconnaissance work! This is just for the tournament!"

"So she says..."

"Shh! They're doing something!"

Ichika was in the Byakushiki, and he managed to activate the Yukihira Nigata's Reiraku Byakuya, "So, is the Yukihira Nigata the only weapon that the Byakushiki has?"

"And I won the championship using only that," Chifuyu pointed her bamboo blade at the energy sword, "Just one swing is good enough to win."

"You know," Ichika said, "I really wish you wouldn't put me in the same category as a world champion-GUH!" He heard her slam the blade to the ground.

"If you wanna be realistic, an amateur like you has no chance of winning a shooting battle," Chifuyu said, "Do you know anything about recoil control? How to distance yourself from the bullet line? One-Zero stop? Absolute turns? What about ammo characteristics? Atmospheric conditions? Or even the intellectual aspect of battle, such as the influence caused by an opponent's equipment?" Each word she spoke made him feel more and more unsure about himself, "And that's only the beginning, so can you handle all that?! Well, can you?!?!"

Ichika drooped his upper body down. He didn't know what to say to all that, except, "I'm sorry..."

Chifuyu relaxed herself and chuckled. "Look, I know you pretty well, and mastering one technique is pretty more your style," she said, "After all, you are my brother, right?"

Rin and Lincoln looked on as the training progressed.

That afternoon, they reflected on everything they've seen...while dueling in a Lacrosse Club session.

"Even in a production model, Chifuyu still got the better of him," Lincoln said.

"How in the heck did he get the same weapon that she used?!"

"No idea-Wuh-Hey-AGAK!" Lincoln managed to catch the ball, "Maybe someone on the inside has connections?" He was about to toss the ball when Rin contacted him.

"Figures it's all shade-WAAAA-OOF!" Rin toppled them both out of bounds-

"*TWEET!* Foul! Other team gains control!" Kim shouted.

Shortly after the game resumed, Rin was maneuvering the ball into play, "So, what do you know so far about Ichika's IS?"

"Not much," Lincoln tried to block her way, "All I know is the sword can-WAHAHAA!" He missed the ball being thrown to someone on her team and chased after it, with Rin right on his tail, "It's Barrier Void, meaning Absolute Defense be darned!"

"Yeesh, that sounds like it would hurt!" Rin fought for a clear path to the goal.

"Oh, it does! It penetrated my nether regions!"

"I guess that's why groin cups were invented!" Rin caught the ball and pushed Lincoln back, then took the shot. But Lincoln's stick slipped off his hands, deflecting the ball out of bounds, "Wha...Dangit!"

"Whooaaaaadadadaadada-OOF!" Lincoln dropped his stick and tripped on it, falling on the grass and somehow flipping the stick up to -BONK!- land on his head, "Owww..."

"Hihihihi!" Rin helped him up and brushed his hair off, "Hanging in there?"

"I think so..." Lincoln shook his head to stop the eye roll.

But his lucky play couldn't change the course of the game, as his team lost 2-0.

After the game, the lacrosse club sat under the shade tree sipping on water and the cool fall breeze.

"What am I doing here..." Lincoln groaned, once again feeling every single muscle in his body struggle to keep pace with the demands of the intramural team.

"Oh, get over it," Rin stretched and leaned against the tree, "Your body's just kicking out all the weaknesses."

"Give it a few years," Kim spread her legs, "Your body will adjust to the pain."

"Blehhhh..." Lincoln hung his tongue out to dry, "I ain't holding my breath..." Just then, he saw Ichika begging for Houki to be slightly more articulate with her explanations, and Cecilia to be less eloquent with hers, "Sounds like he's having fun."

"Yeah, with an old friend and a newbie," Rin muttered, "She barely even knows him!"

"It was the manner in which he was about to attack that won her over," Kim said, "or, so I hear."

"What?...what is she, a masochist?..."

"Where'd That come from?!" Lincoln said.

Rin saw Houki and Cecilia drag him all the way to the arena. "Puh...I guess I can't be too angry with him. I wonder if his mental density has landed him in trouble yet."

"Not that I'm aware of..." Lincoln crawled his way up to standing, "I'm gonna turn it in..."

"Ok, see you Monday, Lincoln!" Kim waved.

"Don't let the wings smash through any more door frames!" Rin joked.

Wednesday. The tournament was scheduled during after school activities. Lincoln met with Ichika after homeroom, near the lockers.

"So, she knows about the One-Hit Kill Weapon," Ichika said, "Does she know what it takes to even turn it on?"

"Nope," Lincoln responded, "Apparently, she's too occupied with the bet."

"I can imagine. I'm positive she had to have heard my little freak out."

"How are you gonna go about it if you win?"

"Dunno...I guess I just have to tell her. Don't sugarcoat anything."

"Uh...are you sure that's the best way?...other than to win?..."

"Come on, have a little faith in me. I'll see it to the end, no problem."

"Ok...but in case you-"

"And, speak of the devil," Ichika saw Houki and Cecilia standing to his left, and Rin standing to his right.

"Huh...convenience," Lincoln said.

"Oh, what brings you here, restaurant girl?" Cecilia taunted.

"I'm out!" Lincoln tried to stuff himself in his locker.

"I came to wish you and Ichika the best of luck, is all," Rin walked over and yanked him out, "and to remind him about that bet."

"Hasn't left my mind since...ever," Ichika said.

"Come on, Ichika," Houki yanked him over, "It's time to prepare for battle."

The boys went "Uh-oh..."

"Yes, I do hope my training has fitted you properly for the conflict ahead," Cecilia said.

"You mean, mine," Houki said.

"How could your sound effects help him in the slightest?"

"For one thing, they're not flowery gibberish."

"And your spastic motions are any better?"

Lincoln sighed, "How long are they gonna go at it?"

"Don't know. Don't wanna know," Rin put him down, "Where are you off to?"

"Drawing. I know there's no clubs now, but I don't think I'm ready to trap myself in a room full of girls..."

"Fair enough," Rin walked towards the Arena.

Lincoln followed her to a shade tree, "So...on the off chance he wins..."

"What's that mean?..." Rin tilted her head.

"Ah, I saw the bracket. The very first match."

"Oh, yeah, that," Rin scratched her head, "Well...even though it's a tiny possibility, I'll just have to swallow my pride and accept it."

"Huh...that's awfully-"

Rin suddenly deployed her arms, "BUT IF HE TRIES TO WEASEL HIS WAY OUT OF THE PROMISE, I'M GONNA TURN HIM INTO PLAY-DOH!"

Lincoln sheepishly grinned, "Does anybody need to go to the bathroom yet?..."

The start of the Class 1 League, and the first match was underway. But Lincoln chose to stay within his sketchbook in the comfort of the park. The faint clanging of the blades didn't deter him from tracing his sharp lines across the paper.

And Akina was right behind him, "Hey-o!"

"Oh my-whew!" Lincoln flinched, "Oh...Hello, Akina..."

"Wow, you're very stylistic in your drawing," Akina commented.

"I do draw a lot," Lincoln flipped through his sketchbook, "I figured that if I didn't become an astronaut, I'd be a comic book artist."

"Or a mangaka. I mean...nationality shouldn't matter if it's, you know, authentic..."

"I suppose..." Lincoln saw her scanning his latest panels.

"Oh boy...mirror dimension plot line?"

"Yep."

"Are you sure you're not talking about yourself?"

"Nope," Lincoln stretched, "I'm starting to see other people acting like my sisters back home, and it's kinda disturbing. Rin's getting on it like Lynn, Cecilia has Lola's narcissism, Chifuyu is an upgraded Lori, Maya and Leni are dangerously identical in dress, demeanor, and tone, and...well, you can figure out the rest."

"Is this homesickness that's creeping up on you?"

"Maybe," Lincoln plopped down on the grass, "Wow, this is more complicated than I thought."

"Can't say I expected anything else. You're 11, for Christ's sake."

"I'm too young to start up with this crap..."

"Hey, it'll get better. Just needs time."

"Yeah. I hope so...even the clouds are starting to look like..."

No they weren't. Something was off about them.

"...like they're...in a blender..." Lincoln saw a small dot in the sky slowly getting bigger.

"That's not a bird...or a plane..." Akina muttered as they saw two giant arms and legs closing in on their position, "It's an IS?!"

Lincoln stood up, ditches his handicap, banged his fists together, "Time to deal out some justice!" On command, he was enveloped in a bright light, "Akina-san, you have to let everyone know what's going on." Wiithin a few seconds, he was in the Savvy Suite, flying upward to confront the trespasser.

Akina fled the park to warn the other students who decided not to attend the match. The mysterious IS came to a halt and met Lincoln at his height.

"You in the weird golem IS!" Lincoln shouted, "Identify yourself!"

The IS didn't respond.

"I said, identify yourself!" Lincoln shouted while checking its stats, "Hm? There's no identification on it...is it locking me out somehow?"

"What'd you find out?!" Akina commed over her phone to his IS.

"It's a brand new, never-before-seen IS!" He said, "And its pilot is a complete mute!"

"How the heck is that possible?!"

"Make sure everyone stays inside," Lincoln disconnected before readying two hands of cards, "I see you're not the talkative type, but you're the thickheaded type."

The IS got into its fighting stance.

"Fine by me, Gorilla Bane," Lincoln said, "Get set to get decked!"

He threw all of his cards at it, but the IS simply blocked his shots and fired back with rapid-fire blasts. Lincoln quickly moved out of the line of fire, but it caught up to him and threw a brutal right hook. He was able to block it and return a few punches, but when he threw a pair of cards at its torso, it clapped a pair of fists at his side and knocked him down with a hammer fist. He skid backwards a few feet on the grass before recollecting himself and flying back to it. It saw him and pelted him with a few rapid fire shots, then got him with a full on laser blast.

"GAAAAAAAAAA-UGH!" Lincoln felt the impact of hitting the ground hard.

"Lincoln!" Akina ran out to him, "Hey, what happened?!"

"It's too powerful..." Lincoln groaned, "that's what-"

They saw in horror as the IS blew out a max-power laser blast at Arena 5 and rammed itself through the deflection shield.

"Oh, that's not a good..." Lincoln prepared to fly, "That is not a good..."

"Gimme a boost up!" Akina hopped on his back.

The two made for the arena and saw a darkened cloud envelope the field.

"Strong Suit!" Lincoln called.

"Incoming!" Strong Suit materialized and, together with Lincoln's cards, slammed her barbell at the exact spot the IS entered the arena, but she couldn't get through at all, "How did-the thing's fixed already!"

Lincoln touched down in front of the main entrance and withdrew his IS, "What's the doors say?!"

"Let me check!" Akina just knocked on the door once, and a notification spread across the wall next to it:

SECURITY ALERT: LEVEL 4 DEFLECTION SHIELDING

ALL DOORS ARE SEALED UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE

Strong Suit jumped off and saw the big words, "You're kidding..."

Lincoln had the idea to get additional help, "We gotta warn the teach-"

Until he heard-

"HELP!"

"WHAT'S GOING ON?!"

"WE'RE TRAPPED!"

"HELP US!"

"IS ANYBODY OUT THERE?!"

-screaming. Cries for help. Fear. The feeling of being cornered. That brought back some bad memories. Just like how he routinely felt cornered when his sisters would gang up against him, that feeling has now transcended upon the students here in Japan. Done in by one individual.

But whereas he found ways to survive, these girls have no way out. And if that IS were to...say...shoot a laser at the walls...


	11. The First Lesson in Being a Hero

"SUSPEND THE MATCH! ORIMURA! FAN! GET OUT OF THERE IMMEDIATELY!"

_("You remember when I said that the topic of space travel would be saved for a later date?")_

_("Yes, ma'am.")_

_("Well, now would be a good time to address it, and there's a very good reason. Most countries saw the Infinite Stratos as a weapon with an unlimited potential for destruction, as evidenced by the White Knight incident years ago, when a single IS, 1st Generation, singlehandedly destroyed more than 2300 missiles and numerous aircrafts and carriers that were all aimed at the capital of Japan. The IS was seen by most as a dangerous weapon, but a select few individuals saw it as a profitable commodity and started various underground organizations for the purpose of redistributing the IS and its components as they saw fit, though some of those organizations were using the IS for terror's sake.")_

_("So, the governments are scrambling to find a way to protect their ISs?")_

_("Yes, to put that very nicely. The IS may be used for competitions now, but it's still a weapon~~~")_

That couldn't be any more true than now. In all the years that the IS Academy remained open, nothing like this had ever happened this brazenly. This wasn't a drill, or an exercise. It's not even a crime.

"What's happening?! What in the hell's going on?!"

It's way past that. This was a terrorist attack, made by someone trying to kill as many people as possible. The IS emerged from the crater it created. The stands were closed off by protective shutters. The holding areas were sealed off from the rest of the arena. And Ichika and Rin were the only ones on the scene when it barged into the arena. They're the only ones who can fight it off.

But Lincoln, Strong Suit, and Akina were the only ones on the outside. Only they could break the students free.

"COME ON, COME ON, COME ON!" Lincoln and Strong Suit kept bashing the door, but nothing happened, "WHAT'S IT GONNA TAKE?!"

"It's no use, Ace," Strong Suit said, "It's not gonna-" Full power slam "-BUDGE!"

"Hello?!" Someone heard the banging, "Who's there?!"

"I'm here!" Lincoln shouted, "Just...trying to get you out!"

"Oh, thank god! Can you find a way inside?!"

"Uh...let me think, um-"

"Lincoln, goodly bad news," Akina got off her phone, "The security people are cracking the code, and the shot troops are coming soon."

"How soon?"

"Didn't tell me."

Strong Suit panicked, "Ah! What! Did they say anything useful?!"

"Well," Akina said, "They'll storm the arena once they have the deflection program under control..."

"By the time they've done that, someone will have already died!" Lincoln screamed, "No, no, we need to get in there now!"

"But How..."

Lincoln was rattling his mind for anything to get around that deflection thing, when he noticed that...

"How about we just disrupt it from outside?" NEW ALLY: HIGH CARD (SUPPORT TYPE) — SHIELD 20%

...his shield energy suddenly went down.

"Gonna need a really heavy tune to pull that off." NEW ALLY: NIGHT CLUB (SUPPORT TYPE) — SHIELD 18%

Twice.

"Wha..." Lincoln swerved his head around, "Luna?! Lori?!"

"Who's Luna?" Night Club said.

"Oh! Oh, right..." Lincoln dinged himself before putting his mind to work, "How's your guitar with that shield thing?"

"Hmm..." Night Club looked at the arena and heard the ensuing chaos inside, "It's alright, but it ain't enough. Maybe some drums might help me out a little."

"I know how to play drums," Akina said, "But how can we get a-"

"Easy sleazy," Night Club snapped her fingers, "Like this." And materialized a drummer and sticks for Akina to use.

"Ooh, neat!" Akina said, "So, together, we can bring down the shield and let them through."

NIGHT CLUB - SHIELD 6/18% (WARNING)

"Ok, then that's our plan!" Lincoln floated to Akina's side, "Akina, Night Club, play something loud enough to fizz the shield a little and lead everyone out. High Card, call everyone in the arena and tell them to back away from the doors. Then, when the shot troops get here, let them know where I am."

"Ooh, mission operator!" High Card clapped, "Just the right amount of tension."

"Wait, We're not gonna help Ichika and Rin fight that thing?" Akina asked.

_("Come on, have a little faith in me. I'll see it to the end, no problem.")_

_("Maybe...instead of always being the one that needs to be protected, I should start being the one that's doing the protecting.")_

"I think he'll be ok," Lincoln said.

"Are you sure?"

"Positive."

"Lincoln!" Ichika suddenly called over, "Lincoln, where are you?!"

"Ichika?! I'm outside the arena! I've got a plan to evacuate everyone inside!"

"You do?! How's it gonna-"

"Hey, you idiot!" Lincoln heard Rin shout, "You need to let go of me right now!"

"Agh!"

"Let go already!"

"Stop kicking!"

"Shut up, shut up, shut up ~"

"Hey, watch the face!"

"Shut up and let go!"

"Ah, here it comes!"

-BLAOW!-

"Whoooaaaaa!"

"Screw it! Lincoln, commence Operation Shield and Sword!" Ichika shouted to Lincoln, "Rin and I will buy you time to get everyone out!"

"Right...Ok, Strong Suit," Lincoln carried her on his back, "Once we get inside, you go left, and I'll go right. Meet up at Holding Area 5-3 and make our way around the stands."

"Roger!" She said.

High Card pushed the home button on her cellphone and called everyone in the Arena who had means of electronic communication.

HIGH CARD - SHIELD 12/20%

Kim was inside trying to calm the girls down when her cellphone went off. "Hello? Akina-san?...Oh, you're...Oh, I'll tell them, then."

"Kim?" One of the students whimpered, "Who was that?"

"That was...someone. Her friend will get us out, but we have to back away from the door."

"Why?"

"That's how we're getting out..."

"Wha!..." the student was excited, "Everyone, we're getting out of here! But they're gonna bust down the doors, so we have to make room!"

Soon, word spread throughout the interior that the escape routes were about to be opened, but cleared first.

Meanwhile, On the outside, all five team members were waiting for the moment of deliverance.

"Night Club, We're ready!" Lincoln shouted before backing up to a far enough distance to charge the door off.

"Hey," Akina asked, "I don't have to play exactly, right?"

"Hell, naw!" Night Club said, "You can go wild with that sucker all you want!"

"My kind of style!" Akina clacked her drumsticks, "And 1! 2! 3!" Then, together with her drums, and Night Club's two-neck guitar, they slowly worked their disruptive magic on the deflection shield.

And the students inside.

"What's that music?"

"Why now?!"

"That must be the signal!" Kim shouted, "Everyone back away!"

The students scrambled away from whatever door they were near.

Lincoln and the others saw the deflection shield falter.

"That's it!" Akina shouted, "Go now!"

"Keep playing!" Lincoln screamed as he rocketed towards the front door, with Strong Suit screaming for dear life when the music hit a pause,

"WAAAAAAAAAAAAAA-"

In the control room, Chifuyu and Maya were wondering where that rocky racket was coming from. They were about to change cameras when-

-BAM!-

Lincoln flipped over and kicked the door down, breaking the shield and opening up the first exit, "Everyone out now!"

The students ran for their lives, but one of them stopped by to say, "Omigod thank you! Thank you so much!"

"Go, follow the music!" Strong Suit hopped off, "That'll be our holding area!"

"Ok, everyone move quickly!" Lincoln shouted, "We don't know when the next strike is, so just-"

-BOOM!-

The stadium rattled a bit. Some of the girls freaked out.

"Hekuva fight they're having up there," Strong Suit commented.

"Ichika and Rin can handle it," Lincoln said, "Have a little faith, yeah?"

"They're fighting that big thing?!" A student stammered, "Are they gonna be ok?!"

"They'll be fine," Strong Suit said, "Just go."

"Take the left!" Lincoln charged at another sealed door, forcing Strong Suit to slam her barbell right at the other side. They both knocked down their doors, freeing more students and guiding them out. They shuttled them out the same way, while tending to anyone who couldn't move.

While Lincoln was leading the rescue operation, Ichika and Rin were leading the counter-offensive operation, opting to buy the students time to escape. They initially had hiccups, but they were able to work out a plan in which Ichika would charge the opponent while Rin provided cover fire. The IS flew over them and fired multiple full power shots at them, but Rin was able to block them and return fire. When it dodged, Rin chased it into the giant cloud of smoke.

"Rin, wait!" Ichika followed them inside, but the IS turned around and fired at him, stopping him from moving closer. The smoke was so unstable that every single attack caused lightning to erupt. He used the lightning's color to find Rin. When he saw continuous yellow lightning flashes, he blasted in that direction.

"RRAAAAAAAGH!" Rin's Shock Cannons engaged in a shooting battle with the IS, but there were so many purple and yellow lightning flashes caused by their fight that she could barely see the IS from far away. She only caught a glimpse of it when it tried to punch her. She was able to block it and return with her dual blades, but it dodged her point-blank shot and snuck around to her back.

Luckily, Ichika found them and swung his sword at the IS, forcing it on the defensive. When it caught his sword, it caused a giant blue lightning storm, letting Rin know where to shoot.

"OUTTA THE WAY!" Rin blasted her cannons at it, breaking its concentration and allowing Ichika to get a solid hit in. But it wasn't enough, as it was able to counter the attack before Ichika could fully destroy it.

Back in the control room, everyone except Chifuyu was freaking out.

"WHAT IS THAT IDIOT DOING?!" Especially Houki, who saw Lincoln utterly destroy school property, "DOES HE HAVE ANY IDEA WHAT HE'S DOING TO THE ARENA?!"

Cecilia stood silent, agonizing over the fact that she was unable to do anything, except wait for the door behind them to come down, given the shield is still at maximum security and the shot troops would not mobilize until the shield comes down.

"Orimura! Fan! Loud!" Maya screamed over the communication channel, "If you can hear me, please respond! Are any of you listening?!"

Chifuyu was going through every corner of her mind how to handle two separate operations being led by two naive boys. Whatever Lincoln was doing to the deflection shield wasn't enough to bring it under control, and Ichika and Rin were currently the only ones available to take that mysterious IS on. She sighed, "They said that they could handle it, didn't they? So, I say we let them go for it."

"Wha?!...Please, tell me you're not serious!" Maya was taken aback, "How can you say something like that at a time like this?!"

"Oh, calm down," Chifuyu went loopy to counteract Maya's panic, "Just chill and have a cup of coffee, or something," and she wasn't looking at what she-WHERE DID THAT COFFEE COME FROM? "You're only stressing because your body's running low on sugar."

"Um, before you drink that," Maya said, "what you actually added was the salt..."

Chifuyu stopped and blushed from a simple mistake she made in front of her peers.

Ichika lost Rin and landed back on the ground, "Gghh...where is she?..." He was hoping that a lightning strike caused by a cannon blast could direct him, but he was blindsided by a surprise punch, "Wha-GRRAAAAAAAAAGH!" The IS forced him out of the smoke.

"Ichika!" Rin heard him shout and escaped the smoke.

"Please give me authorization to use my IS!" Cecilia begged, "I can move out right away!"

"Well, I wish I could, but..." Chifuyu directed everyone's attention to the shield window, which was fizzling back and forth between level 4 and 3.

"Huh?!" Houki gasped, "Lincoln did that?!..."

"It seems so," Chifuyu said, "but whatever he's doing isn't working. And we've already declared an emergency, but the shot troops can't move in unless the shield fully under control..."

"And all the doors will remain shut..." Houki whispered, "which means..."

"For right now," Cecilia said, "As things stand now, all we can do is wait."

"That's right," Chifuyu said, "but you couldn't help the shot troops in any case, so there's no~~~"

In the arena hallways, Lincoln managed to burst his way through to the end, even bust open a few extra doors.

"Go! Get outta here!" He shouted. As the students rushed out, one of them cried and hug-tackled him. "ACG-ACK...ok, you're acting not right..."

"Nohohon!" Suddenly, Kim in the Uchigane! "You have to go now!"

"The music'll lead you out," Strong Suit eased her off, "They're waiting. Go."

"Kim!" Lincoln said, "You're helping out?"

"Yeah. Your friend opened the hangar, so I helped with evacuation while several others are sweeping the stands."

"Oh, good, that's a relief," Lincoln showed her the energy stats of all his party members: he was sitting at 27%, Strong Suit had 7%, and the longer Night Club (3%) played the less she had to go on.

"Oh, wow," Kim said, "Really good timing, huh?"

-BOOM BOOM BOOM BOOM!!!!-

"And really bad timing, too!" Strong Suit jolted.

"Ok, spread out!" Lincoln shouted before going back to Kim and Strong Suit, "I'll check the stands! You guys sweep the under area one more time! Any doors to the arenas, if they're not open, force them open!" Then they high fived each other and broke off to their respective areas.

Rin kept blasting away at the IS until she got in a hit, "Ichika, do it now!"

"HAAAAAA-GGG!" Ichika charged it, only to get blocked and knocked away. He tried again to hit, but it kept dodging and eventually escaped.

"Oh, you idiot!" Rin shouted, "Aim that thing like you're supposed to!"

"Hey, I am aiming it, dammit!" Ichika checked his shielding,

BYAKUSHIKI - SHIELD 8/100% (CRITICAL)

"Aw, great," he thought, "I dunno if I'll be able to use the Barrier Disabling Attack just one more time-" His thoughts were cut off by the IS's laser blasts.

"Ichika, break away!" Rin said.

"Ah-right!"

The IS hovered around the field, blasting its shoulder cannons away at the two pilots.

"What are we going to do?!" Rin screamed while avoiding the laser streams, "We'll never beat her without some kind of strategy!"

"Hey!" Ichika threw out a joke now of all times, "You can still run if you want to!"

"Who said anything, you jerk?!" Rin snapped, "I'm still a Representative Contender, you know!"

"Alright, then how's this sound?" Ichika met her back to back, "You take the point and I'll cover your rear end."

Rin took one look at him and realized how serious he was about the fight. And what he said, and she didn't know if he was aware of it. She blushed a little, "Um...that's appreci-" Her thoughts were cut off by the IS's laser blasts.

"Stay focused, Rin!" Ichika escaped sooner than she did.

Rin narrowly avoided that shot, "Yeah, tell me something I don't know!"

Both pilots kept dodging and scrambling for any potshots they could take at the IS, while Lincoln circled the stands for any stragglers. He found one group trying to help a student who injured her leg when the IS caused a shockwave in the arena, when he received a call, "Huh? High Card, come in!"

"Ace, we have a problem," High Card commed over the still open channel, "The shot troops arrived earlier than expected."

"Huh?! Can they pass through the shield as they are now?!"

"Lemme check," High Card turned to one of the pilots on standby, "How's the senior elite team doing?"

"Thanks to your pilot, they were able to hack into the shield system a few minutes ago..." the captain waited until she received a notification, "And...they have control now."

High Card peeered over at the stadium wall, and a new message popped up:

SECURITY ALERT: LEVEL 2 DEFLECTION SHIELDING

MAIN FIELD PROTECTION ONLINE; ARENA LOCKDOWN

"Ok, Night Club!" High Club shouted, "You can stop now!"

"No way!" Night Club was having too much fun with her escapee concert, "Can't leave them lost like this!" Then she and Akina started shredding their instruments like mad women.

NIGHT CLUB - SHIELD 2/18% (CRITICAL)

"Ugh, why do I bother..." High Card commed back to Lincoln, and unwittingly Chifuyu, "Shield's under control. We're going in right now."

Lincoln was about to respond, when a string of bullets was about to break the barrier between the injured and the open field. He quickly nudged them out of the stands and into the bunker, using his arms to protect them and unconsciously moving his wing units together to act as a shield. Just in time for the barrier to break down and the lasers to come in and shred that section of the stands. He stood guard, making sure the students got out safely.

"HURRYYYYYYYYYYYYYY!" He screamed. Amazingly, he held out until the IS stopped. But when it ended, he was smoking all over, unable to stand due to the intensity of the aftershock, and the high risk of enduring another pelvic cramp, "ACK-HHHHHHHH...welp...I had a couple aces...they weren't up my sleeve..."

SAVVY SUITE - SHIELD 4/137% (CRITICAL)

In the control room, they heard and saw everything.

"Loud! Come in, Loud!" Maya screamed, "Loud, can you hear me?!"

"This is ridiculous! We should be out there helping with the operation by now!" Cecilia said, "Not trapped in a steel room!"

"Are you sure you'd be able to handle it?" Chifuyu told her, "How exactly are you going to support the team without accidentally shooting out one of your own?"

"Uh-I...well..."

Strong Suit ran through the metal halls, "Where is the good door? Where is the good door-Olo?" She stopped in front of the door leading to the control room, "High Card, I found them. Send someone to 5-2 control room," and prepared to bust it open.

Chifuyu walked to the control panel, "Not only do you need to know your teammates better, you also need to take a tactical position and develop a workaround to better contribute to their team strategy," and opened the door.

Right before Strong Suit could knock it down and ended up barging in like a moron, "YOGLOGLOGLOGLOGLOGOLOBOD-uh, huh?"

Chifuyu smirked, "You can't just take unnecessary potshots like you would when you're by yourself."

"Uhhhh..." Strong Suit got rid of her barbell, "Heheh..."

"What are you doing here, little one?" Maya asked.

"Miss Orimura, are you alright?!" The captain of the shot troops came in.

"I'm fine," she answered, "Where are the others?"

"Wait, you got through?!" Houki beamed.

"Yes, but you can't-"

Houki didn't bother listening and just ran away.

"Hey! Where are you going?!" Strong Suit ran after her.

"I need to go as well," Cecilia said, "Where's the closest entrance to the arena field?"

"Miss Alcott?" The captain recognized her, "How's your IS?"

"Fully shielded and operational."

"There's a hole in the stands right now, down that way," the captain said, "Time your shot just right."

"Understood," Cecilia promptly left for the proposed point of entry.

"Miss Orimura?" Maya asked, "Aren't you gonna say something to her?"

"Hmm, no I'm not," Chifuyu said, "If she actually plays with the team..."

Outside, everyone had escaped to the mini concert.

"Seriously, Night, you can stop now!" High Card communicated, "The Arena's fully evacuated!"

"Dangit..." Night Club had no choice, "Akina, last one!"

"I hear you!" Akina let out her last drum riff to transition into the final line of the concert. And the two went out on a bang. When the last note played, the entire crowd cheered for an encore.

NIGHT CLUB - SHIELD 0 (EMPTY)

"Thank you, IS Academy!" Night Club threw her arms up in the classic rocker pose, "I will see y'all down the road of destiny! Good niiiiiiiiiight!" The crowd screamed a joyous chorus.

"It's afternoon," Akina said.

"You know what I mean," Night Club fizzled out of sight, along with the drums, guitar, and any accessories she brought over.

"Um...just wondering..." Maya muttered, "did you happen to notice how the IS moves?..."

"Like, eerily mechanical, as if it was automated?" Chifuyu said, "I noticed. But what I'm wondering is-"

"-if there's really anyone piloting that thing," Ichika said.

"What?" Rin doubted, "But an IS won't work without a pilot."

"If that's the case..." Lincoln panted, "then, why isn't it attacking right now?...while we're just sitting here?..."

"Perhaps it's curious about Orimura and Fan's interactions," Chifuyu thought.

"I guess that would make sense..." Maya agreed somewhat.

But Rin didn't believe it, "There's no way it can be unmanned...Someone has to be in an IS, or it won't move. That's just how it is."

"Yeah..." Ichika thought, "but think about it. What if..."

"What _if_..." Lincoln muttered, "...there really is no one inside?..." before someone walked past him.

"Wait, then..." Maya shivered, "They can pound it...all the way?!"

"Exactly," Chifuyu explained, "The Byakushiki has a One-Off Ability that quote-unquote "powers up" the Barrier Disabling Attack, to a power level far beyond what's allowed in a typical competition."

Strong Suit was chasing after Houki through the arena halls, "Hey! The hangar's That way?! Wanna grab a sword at least?!"

"Reiraku Byakuya...that's Yukihira Nigata's All-Out attack," Ichika said, "The full force of the Yukihira Nigata's normally too powerful, so you can't go all out during training... or class matches, for that matter. However, you could if your opponent is unmanned."

"That's sounding overpowered," Rin remarked, "but you keep hitting like it's a plastic bat instead of a darn sword."

"Oh, I'll strike it down. Just you watch."

"There they are," High Card entered holding area 5-1 with three soldiers, while two other groups occupied 5-3 and 5-4.

"Looks like they stopped," one of the soldiers noted, "did they destroy it?"

"No. It's just standing there..."

Rin thought Ichika went off the deep end, "Haaa, well, you sound pretty determined...So, even though I don't think it's a possibility, let's just say the thing is unmanned and attack it head on."

"Alright," Ichika prepped his sword, "So, the plan is that you shoot the cannon at full blast, but only when I give the signal. Are we both agreed on that?"

Cecilia deployed her IS. The soldiers readied and aimed their weapons just in case they had to finish the job.

"Sure, but it'll miss it," Rin smirked.

"It'll be fine even if it does miss," Ichika took his battle stance, "Alright! Let's-"

"ICHIKA!"

"Huh?!"

At the worst possible second...Houki out of holding area 5-2, "If you're a man...IF YOU'RE A MAN, YOU'D BETTER DEFEAT THE ENEMY COMPLETELY!"

The IS turned its laser weapons to her.

"Oh no!" Ichika was out of time, "HOUKI! RUN!"

Houki chose to stand her ground.

"THAT DUMBASS!" Strong Suit grabbed her barbell and made a mad dash to protect Houki.

"Take the shot!" High Card fizzled her way to Strong Suit.

"Not yet..." Cecilia saw two caricatured girls jump in front of Houki.

"Rin! Do it now!" Ichika shouted.

"You got it!" Rin began charging her Shot Cannons when Ichika suddenly got in her way, "Hey, you stupid idiot! What're you doing?! Get outta my line of fire!"

"JUST SHOOT, DAMMIT!"

"Huh?!" Rin didn't have a choice, "You crazy jerk! Whatever happens, it's not my fault!" She fired full blast right at Ichika.

But the blast that hit Ichika didn't damage him in the slightest; quite the opposite, it gave him the power he needed to unlock the full potential of the Yukihira Nigata. He saw the giant laser Come right at the holding area 5-2, only to be completely deflected into multiple rays and bounced off to the field around them. That gave him the feeling he needed to make that potential his own.

BYAKUSHIKI - SHIELD 12/100% (WARNING)

POWER SYNC 100% — YUKIHIRA NIGATA - REIRAKU BYAKUYA ONLINE

His IS became enveloped in a golden aura. He used the force of the cannon's collision to blast off towards the IS,

"This is for Rin...Houki...Chifuyu...and everyone else I care about...I will protect all of you!"

He took one swing and sliced off the IS's right arm, interrupting the IS's laser blast. He was about to swing again, but the IS used its other arm to sock him straight to the wall of the crater. He collapsed on the floor as he saw the IS approach him, arm cannon ready to charge.

"Now..." Cecilia released her drones.

"Ichika, get out of there!" Rin screamed, "Hey, Ichika!"

But he wasn't the least bit worried, "How's your aim?"

"Perfect, of course," Cecilia's drones unleashed a barrage of shots. Every single one hit the IS square in the head and interrupted its attack.

"FIRE!" The captain shouted, and every soldier in the arena shot at the IS, blowing off its shoulder weapons.

Houki and Rin caught off-guard by the sudden assist and turned to their left, "Cecilia?! But when did you-"

"Hey, bambooboo brain."

Houki was confronted by...

...a headless...and neckless High Card, "You owe me a new phone, lady."

HIGH CARD - SHIELD 0 (EMPTY)

...and Strong Suit, who lost the left side of her head, an arm, a leg, and half her barbell, "And you owe me some new equipment!"

STRONG SUIT - SHIELD 0 (EMPTY)

They both fizzled out of existence...

...while Cecilia fired off a fully charged sniper shot right at the center of the IS's chest area. Combined with the rest of the troops shooting at the other parts of the IS, the fight was just about over. The IS fell on its back, unable to move.

While the students and soldiers cheered, Ichika and Cecilia relaxed themselves.

"It looks like we've all assembled with not a second to spare," Cecilia commed to Ichika.

"I knew you'd come through in time," Ichika complemented.

"Oh? You really mean that? I mean, it is to be expected of a Representative Contender, after all."

"Well, it's over now," Ichika smugly said, "Looks like we can all go-Eh?!"

Suddenly, everyone who had a weapon of any kind received an emergency notification:

HOSTILE ALERT

-UNKNOWN IS MANDATORY UNLOCK HAS BEEN ACTIVATED-

"Oh, you're kidding me!" Ichika said.

The IS's arm had been triggered by the Mandatory Unlock.

"Ichika, get out!" Rin shouted, "It's still moving!"

"Getcha groin cups here!" Lincoln flew out into the field.

The arm charged its laser beam to the max. Ichika rushed to stop it, but he was too slow. It fired a full _prolonged_ blast at him, yet he didn't feel a thing, "Rrrgh!...What in-"

Lincoln blocked the laser with his wing shield, "GRAB ON!" He helped him up.

Ichika and Lincoln pushed forward against the energy tide, even as the laser increased in intensity. Ichika helped push the shield along with his left hand, "JUST A...LITTLE MORE!..." Lincoln gave what little energy he left to the sword with his right hand. Together, they made it to the end of the beam, and with a hearty shout, "RAAAAAAAAAAAAA~~~" they swung down the blade and ended the struggle...right before losing consciousness.

BYAKUSHIKI - SHIELD 0 (EMPTY)

SAVVY SUITE - SHIELD 0 (EMPTY)

Some time later...

"...mm...mmmmm..."

The soft sloshing of the waves...the gentle whisper of the winds...

"Nnnn...uhhhh..."

The clarion call of the seagulls...the grainy awakening of the sand...

"ARRRRRRRRRRIBAAAAA!"

"AAA, WHAT THE-"

And the interruption of all of that by the Lincoln-lookalike girl, "Sorry, did I startle you?"

"Yeah...you did...HHHHhhhhhhhh..." he sat up, "Hm...I recognize this place..."

"Yup. You were here two and a half months ago."

"Two and a-IT'S ONLY BEEN TWO AND A HALF MONTHS?!"

"Well...maybe three. It's never made clear."

"Guuhuhuhuh..." Lincoln gasped before looking around, "Where's all the people at?..."

"People?" The girl blinked, "It's just the four of us the whole time."

"Four?" Lincoln looked around and saw three familiar faces. The blonde woman was relaxing her worries away under a beach umbrella. The two brunettes of vastly different heights were playing tag in the water.

"Night, you're literally in the water," the one under the umbrella said, "You don't need the face paint."

"Whaaat?!" Night Club whined, "It separates the loungers from the rockstars!"

"Wow," Strong Suit snuck behind her, "You need to royally-" WATER SPLASH "-_flush_ out your quirks!"

"Why you!" Night Club swam after her for cleaning out her face, "How about I flush out your hair with my own brand of paint?!"

"NYEEEEH!"

Lincoln was somewhat disturbed. Without the costumes and makeup, the three allies he called upon to assist with the rescue operation look exactly like...them.

"Oh hey, you two made it!" High Card noticed his presence, "Come on, have a seat."

"Uh...ok," Lincoln walked to High Card's umbrella and sat beside her.

"Why so tense?" High Card asked.

"He's probably zonked by his very first RESCUE MISSIOOOOOOON!" the girl smirked.

"Ears..." Lincoln cleaned out his earlobe.

"Or maybe it's one guy vs four bikini-clad girls?" High Card joked.

"It-Wuh?" Lincoln blinked and realized he was in his swim trunks, "AAAAA! WHERE'S MY CLOTHES?!"

"Hmhmh, we're at a beach," High Card chuckled, "What'd you need clothes for?"

"Uh..." Lincoln cringed, "do you know what you just said?..."

"I'm aware. I still want an answer."

-HONK-

The girl honked a toy horn at the same time Lincoln gave the "WTF..." look, "And you said this was useless, haha! HONK HONK HONK!"

"O...k..." Lincoln Just about-

"I'm just kidding!" High Card laughed, "Take a load off, already! We finished our mission, so what gives!"

"Uh...I don't know..."

"That's new," Strong Suit had Night Club in a headlock when he heard Lincoln say that, and dragged her over to the umbrella, "What don't you know?"

"Well...It's weird. Everything...One moment, I was just about to die...and the next, I'm alive and well, inside a dream world."

"Oh, I get it," Night Club sat beside him, "The adrenaline rush is gone. No one's in any more danger, so _now_ you have time to ask what the hell happened."

"I did," Lincoln rubbed his head, "I almost died."

"But you didn't!" The girl hugged him, "And you're a hero now!"

"What's that gotta do with "we almost died"?..."

"I thought that's what a hero does," High Card said, "Am I missing anything here?"

"Well...uhhh..."

"You know I keep tabs on everyone, including you. And I know you covered those girls escorting an injured person out of the stands."

"Well, I didn't want anyone to get hurt. What was I-" he stopped himself after hearing what he just said.

"And I bet they will remember it for a long time," the girl said.

Lincoln thought about the moments where he was one on one with a fellow student thanking him for busting the doors down. And another where the students who escorted the injured girl out split into two pairs to open a passage to get him out, "Heh...they definitely won't forget..."

"Bet you didn't expect to go on a mission at 11, huh?" Strong Suit said, "I mean, look at Robin! He's been doing this kind of crud since...what, 11? 12?"

"Uh," Lincoln flinched, "I wish you wouldn't lump me in with those kinds of heroes."

"Ahem," High Card got everyone's attention, "Being realistic here, there's no way that a person of your age, stature, and mentality should be able to pull off that kind of stunt. You couldn't have called us out without knowing full well that you'd be risking a lot more than just your life. For one thing, there's Ichika and Rin's lives on the line; the Absolute Defense isn't completely absolute. And another thing, you witnessed firsthand the tremendous power of the IS. And then, there's the students' lives, the soldiers' lives, property damage...the list goes on. You had to have known what you were getting into, right?"

"Uhduh?..." they were all lost. She lost them at mentality.

"My point exactly. You just jumped into it. That'd be ok if it was like today, but what if, say, you were called to fight, instead of Ichika? Or there really was somebody in that thing?"

"You're kinda ruining the vibe, High," Night Club griped.

"Well, it's something you have to think about every time you go on a mission."

"Yeah, but-"

"Ok, we're getting really heavy now," the girl said, "Can we just scratch this and talk about something else?"

"What she said," Lincoln said, "Something else like...what am I doing here?"

"I thought you wanted to come here sometime," Strong Suit said.

"Well...not anymore."

They all saw him feeling down again.

"Yeah," the girl said, "Whaddaya say we take it one step at a time? Don't bombrush it like last time?"

"Good plan," Night Club, "So, What's our first move?"

"Ooh! Ooh! I know!" The girl shoved Lincoln out and huddled the girls together.

"Uh...what-" Lincoln saw the three House members give disapproving looks. Then they chased after the girl. "Welp...what do I do now..."

He walked out into the open, where the water met the sand and washed away the earth. Then, he observed every object placed in the beach. Those memories resurfaced, especially that certain costume, the one he swore he would burn to ashes. He replayed the moment when Lori literally _lied to him_ to save him from death's door.

_("This is Lucy's Luck-b-Gone! She finished it the morning!")_

_("I did not finish the potion.")_

It was the weirdest feeling ever. Maybe that's why he still has no clue where the ends of existence were. It was a lie that got him in this mess... and it was a lie that virtually got him out of it. Paradox at its finest. "Ugh...there's gotta be a reason why..." As soon as he said that, he didn't want to think on it anymore. He just wanted to get some alone time in the water.

Which was clocked by the sudden interruption of a four-woman mariachi **band** blaring their instruments while colliding their **wagon** into every giant rock, only skidding to a stop when they **passed** Lincoln. The group hopped off and blasted one last off-pitch chord.

The girl nudged him, "Eh? Eh? Get it?!"

"Oh, I got it," he scowled, "I ain't laughing, but I got it."

"Hahaa, I told you it was a stupid joke," Night Club stuffed her stuff on the girl.

"Come on, give it a chance!" The girl begged.

"We did," High Card massaged the girl's shoulders, "Now, just take it easy, like you said," and made her drop everything in the water.

"I need a cold bath after that..." Strong Suit threw her mariachi crud away.

"Let me throw some cold water on the situation!" Lincoln splashed her with beach water and lured her into a sea battle against the Night shark. While the girl and High Card spent their afternoon gossiping under the umbrella.

Lincoln kept playing to his heart's content...until...

"...zzz...zzzzzz...zzz..."

"...he...lets...down..."

"...keep it down...sleeping..."

"So brave...never...chemistry..."

"I can't tell who's the sidekick! They were like a dynamic duo!"

"He took on the enemy! He was a tank!"

"While he hid in the shadows and cleared the field!"

"It's right from the manga! Play by freaking play!"

"Can you keep it down..." Lincoln murmured, "I'm trying to sleep-" FREEZE "-AHPHPHPHPH..." He and Ichika were in the infirmary. On beds surrounded by everyone from Class 1-1. "Uhhhhh...hi?..."

"Uh, hi," a student approached him, "Are...are you holding up ok?..."

"I'm fine...but what about-" Lincoln looked to his right. Ichika was still conked out. "What happened to him?..."

"He's fine. He's just knocked out. And injured, maybe-"

"Not helping!" Rin covered her mouth.

"Well...Nothing bad happened to him," Kaoruko said, "Just some minor aches and pains."

"Oh..." Lincoln sighed, "Good deal..."

"Ahem."

"*GULP*" Everyone gulped at the sound of the Brunhilde.

"For injured students, you all seem to be very lively," Chifuyu made everyone whimper in desperation to avoid punishment. But, "Well, since this was an unforeseen disaster, I'll let it slide this time. Next time you pull another fast one, it'll be 15 laps around the school for the entire class. Am I understood?"

"Yes, ma'am..."

"Fan, clear the room," Chifuyu turned around and left, "Loud, with me."

Lincoln twitched.

"Ok, people. Move along," Rin pushed everyone out, "If she says we gotta go, then we gotta go."

While everyone else groaned, Lincoln racked his mind through every possible argument that Chifuyu could make against him. Luckily, it didn't get to that level.

Chifuyu was leading him down the hallway, past the peering eyes, "That was beyond reckless."

"What was?..."

"Knocking down structures that belong to the Academy, directly interfering with government matters, and a trifecta of self-endangerment that could very well be considered by many morbid minds to be suicide, at which point, the age question will come into consideration...what were you thinking?"

"I...I was thinking about how helpless the other students were."

"But did you think about anything else? Like how your presence may affect the battle? How much it would cost to restore the arena back to normal conditions? Or what if someone actually died, and that someone wasn't a helpless student?"

"Well...no. I was just focused on evacuating the arena."

"That singlemindedness often spells disaster for the parties involved. You have to be mindful of the consequences your actions have, and their area of impact. Wasn't there an overused cliche that describes the situation?"

"Blugh...Don't say it..."

"Take it from me... I know what it feels like in the IS. I know a woman who's paralyzed from the waist down who could pilot an IS with uncanny precision. And it doesn't come free-"

Their little discussion was cut short by the whispers of the students nearby:

"Look, it's him!"

"He saved her life!"

"That rock band duo was so cool!"

"They planned the attack and escape?!"

"Whoa..." Lincoln whispered, "They're talking about us..."

"Indeed, they are," Chifuyu responded, "You're gonna stir them up even more if you don't watch what you do. Now, everyone has their eyes on you."

Lincoln realized that he and Ichika would now be monitored by virtually every single girl in his class, in and out of it, "Guess I should have thought about that..."

"And the first day of class is just half a percent of the tip of the iceberg. You'll have to be more aware of what you're doing with what you have. You and Orimura both."

"Well, you know what they say," and suddenly Maya, "With great power comes great responsibility-"

"GAAAAAYOUSAIDIIIIIIIIIIIT!" Lincoln wailed.

"Well, since you did evacuate the students and bring in the troops, I'll overlook this incident." Chifuyu said, "But next time disaster strikes, don't literally use the environment around you as collateral."

"Oh...got it..."

"Ma'am, what about Shinonono?" Maya asked.

"I'll deal with her later," Chifuyu said, "Right now, there's something we have to look into."

Back in the infirmary, Rin was all alone with a sleeping Ichika. She seemed to have softened up since the surprise fight, but out of the sea of emotions that erupted from the promise that couldn't be, she didn't know which emotion to feel. All she knew was that she had to get her feelings out. She leaned over in an attempt to join her lips with his.

But he started to awaken when she came within tonguing range. When he fully opened his eyes, she backed away from him.

Ichika sat up, "Rin, what were you doing just then?"

"Uh, were you awake?..." Rin was nervous.

"What are you acting all nervous for?"

"What makes you say that? I'm not nervous," Rin quickly regained her composure, "That is a ridiculous thing to say."

"Oh...what happened to the IS?"

"It got shut down. Don't worry, you and Lincoln were the only ones who got hurt; everyone else made it out safely."

"Oh..." Ichika sighed in relief, "Good deal..." then, he looked out the open window, out to the sun withdrawing its brightened glaze over the ocean, "You know, now that I think about it...wasn't it a night just like this, back in elementary school ~~~"

She remembered...

_("So, if I become a better cook, will you eat my Sweet and Sour Pork every day?")_

"Oh, yeah..." Rin said, "That promise... you know, it kinda surprised me how you still remembered it."

And he just came out with it, "Yeah...had I known what that promise really meant, I would never have said yes..."

"Whaaaat, pbbtt, come on. I think you're reading way too deep into it," Rin chuckled, "I just meant that, you know, when you cook for someone else, your cooking improves. That's all it was. Haha-"

"No, it wasn't," he said, "You said that I would eat your Sweet-n-Sour pork every day if you became a better cook. You really meant that I would be your boyfriend-slash-husband if you became a stronger person."

"*GULP*..." Rin had been had, "Yeah...that's what it meant...since when has your density decreased all of a sudden?"

"Um...being unconscious gives you a lot to think about, and a of time to think. I don't think I'm ready to make that kind of commitment yet..."

"I'll bet..." Rin set her head on the bed.

"Uh..." Ichika had to follow up quickly, "That doesn't mean I can't hang out with you, does it?..."

"Huhwuh?"

"I mean, no matter what happens, we're still childhood friends; that will never change. So... I know that-"

"There's still a chance!" Rin unknowingly blurted.

"Huh?"

Rin quickly retracted her statement, "I mean, uh...Of course, we can still hang out! Well, I can't really compete with my father, but you know, I don't make just Sweet and Sour Pork! So, if you wanna-"

"Oh I do, but it's gonna be hard to top your father's cooking!"

"Uh, well..." Rin got a little somber, "he doesn't work there anymore."

"What? Why'd he stop?"

"Well. The thing is...my parents got a divorce. That's one of the reasons why I went back to China..."

"Geez..." Ichika thought he had a lot of catching up to do. And he does have a solution, but... he has to take a stand against the impending storm that was sure to erupt from the other two girls... "You, maybe, wanna hang out this weekend? I mean, if you're not doing anything, we can just talk or something..."

Rin brightened up, "Just the two of us?...Yeah. Heheh, that sounds like fun."

"Surprise, Ichika dear!" And in came Cecilia to ruin the moment, "I hope you're feeling much better, but I've come to look after you-uh?!" She locked eyes with Rin, "What is this?..." Confrontation, "Just what do you think you're doing? Remember, we've decided that no one can make a move on Ichika until he wakes up."

"And what about you?" Sneak attack from Houki! "Because from my view of your fat ass, it looked like you were trying to get ahead of me."

While Cecilia stammered for a plausible excuse, Rin became very agitated, "Get outta here, both of you! Can't you see he's~~~"

Ichika's ears twitched, "Make a move on me? Get ahead of her? Wait ..."

_("How did you manage to confess to your girlfriend?")_

_("Eh, I just did it. In front of so many people, too. I let everyone know why, and then I made a move on her. Well...not really, she we just kissed in full view of the entire restaurant, so I think that counts.")_

_("How did it feel?")_

_("All sorts of exhilarating, joyful, and...If I count what my classmates did the very next day...disgusting.")_

"Crap," he whispered while the girls started bickering about friendship levels again, "I really have to watch myself now..." that makes two girls who are confirmed to be pining over him, and one girl who might be. He thought about asking Lincoln for advice, but if today has proven anything, it's that they cannot rely on each other 24/7. He'll have to learn as much as he possibly can if he wants to stand on his own to feet.

Like now, when he hasn't returned, "Hey?"

The girls stopped arguing.

"Where's Chifuyu?" Ichika asked.

Cecilia gave it some thought, "Now That you ask..."

"I haven't seen her since she took Lincoln somewhere," Rin said.

"Where do you think she took him to?..." Houki sounded worried...

...for good reason. In an IS diagnostic room, Maya was analyzing the IS with Chifuyu and Lincoln standing behind her. What they saw was very telling.

"Unmanned..." Lincoln muttered, "And no one was controlling it remotely or anything?"

"No," Maya checked the report, "And what's more is that it has an unregistered core..."

"What does that mean?..."

"In the entire world, there are only 467 IS cores. And yet, here's a core we know nothing about."

Chifuyu just looked on, "In other words...this could be an entirely new core..."

So many questions filled their heads. But probably the most disturbing one was: Since no one else but Tabane can create cores, was this all her doing?


	12. Some Play Date

The next day, five minutes before homeroom, and already it was the boys' worst nightmare come true: they were the the center of attention. All because of the lightning- fast technology that was social media...

**SURPRISE RESCUE OPERATION AT IS ACADEMY: The Representative Contender from China and the world's first male pilot coordinated a strategic maneuver with the world's youngest pilot to counter the sudden attack made by an unmanned IS. Ichika Orimura, Cecilia Alcott, and Lingyin Huang coordinated the main attack; while Lincoln Loud, Akina Shinohara, and Kim Ha-Jin worked with the senior elites to evacuate the arena and move the shot troops into position.**

The duo had completely forgotten about the potential Core 468 when they saw the headline on the school bulletin board...just outside of Class 1-1.

Even worse, one of the Arena cameras captured the very moment when Lincoln and Ichika were united as one knight, holding the wing shield and the Yukihira Nigata hand in hand.

"And the girls said, what danger?..." Lincoln hid behind Kim and Ichika after hearing massive gossip and whispering coming from every classroom in the hall, "Now, what's our plan?..."

"I don't know..." Ichika muttered.

"Well, just remember what I said," Kim encouraged, "Take it in stride, but don't take it to far."

"Humility can only get us so far in this life..." Lincoln groaned.

"What happened to that thick skin of yours?" Kim smirked, "And you thought being a celebrity would be smooth sailing."

"When you're among the underwhelming minority?!" Lincoln snapped, "I'm one of two male destructors!"

"We don't have a choice now," Ichika said, "Let's just go in and face the music." He straightened his blazer and brushed his hair.

"If you need me," Kim waved goodbye, "I'll be a couple floors up."

"Oh, joy..." Lincoln muttered as he gritted his teeth, "Got any advice?..."

"Nope," Ichika whispered, "You?..."

"Nada."

Three deep breaths and a nervously hearty handshake later, they took two steps towards the door-

-VRMM-

-and all of Class 1-1 lost their minds, "**AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA**!"

"It's the Dynamic Duo!"

"Can I get your autograph please?!"

"You looked so cool weaving your sword!"

"And you were so brave with your shield!"

"I'M NOT A MAN, **I'M NOT A MAN**!" Lincoln shouted.

"Get a grip, Loud!" Ichika pushed them into the classroom.

"No way! I'd rather run 50 laps around the school than-" Lincoln was yanked over by a student while holding on to Ichika's sleeve for dear life.

"Thank you so much, little brother!" A student squeezed him.

"GGGHACK-Good grip..." Ichika got stuck in her vice grip.

"I can't thank you enough for what you did!" Another student cheered.

"Yeah, sure," Lincoln grunted, "Who wants to take a selfie with Death, amirite?..."

"So, is it true?!" Someone pestered Ichika, "Was that IS really unmanned?!"

"That was so scary! Did you stare down it deadly eyes?!"

"Such bravery in the sword! You have to be so strong to fight that thing!"

"Uh, well..." Ichika stammered, "You could say that-Oh no-"

"Excuse me, but would you care to explain something to me?" Cecilia got in his face, "Specifically, your supposed play date with Rin?"

"Ichikaaaaaaa..." Houki growled.

"Gimme a break, guys!" Ichika said, "Let's all take a deep breath and-"

"You expect me to sit still while you're trying to pull a fast one on me?!" Houki screamed.

"How dare you abandon me for your promiscuous ventures?!" Cecilia rioted, "I've never been so disappointed in a backstabbing~~~"

At that point, Ichika cracked, "Then, maybe you can tell me what that stuff was with-"

_("...no one can make a move on Ichika until he wakes up.")_

"-and that weird bit that went-"

_("...from my view of your fat ass, it looks like you were trying to get ahead of me.")_

"-while I was three feet in front of you?"

"What? Where'd you hear that?!" Houki grabbed him and shook him, "Get it out of your head right now! We did not say that!"

"Hey, I heard what I heard, ok?!" Ichika wheezed.

"Obviously, you still aren't fully recovered," Cecilia butt in, "Allow me to escort you to the nurse's office straight away."

"No, let me take him," Houki interrupted, "Why don't you watch that other kid?"

"You'll make his concussion worse!"

"And what's your cooking gonna help?!"

And then they used him in a mini Tug-o-War.

"Nobody say anytime quippy..." Ichika was getting dizzy, when-

"ALCOTT! SHINONONO!"

The entire class froze at the sound of Chifuyu's voice.

"Care to explain exactly why you two are manhandling one of your fellow students?" Chifuyu demanded, "Especially given what transpired mere hours ago?..."

"But-no, it's not like that!" Cecilia waved her arms around, "We just consoled him for his valiant efforts, that's all it is!"

"Yeah, there's no manhandling at all!" Houki said, "Isn't that right, Ichi-" the moment she touched his shoulder-

"GYAAAAAA-haahhhhhhhh..." he fell to his knees, "Can we stop with the running gags, please..."

"Oh, my!" Cecilia knelt down, "Is something wrong, Ichika dear-" the moment she touched his other shoulder-

"WHAT DO YOU THIIIIIIIII-hihihiiiiiiiiink..." he collapsed, "Partial deployment on the shoulders?..."

"Uh-Huh..." Chifuyu had already deduced exactly what happened, and why, "Miss Yamada, please escort him to the nurse's office."

"Uh, yes ma'am," Maya slowly eased him on her back.

Cecilia and Houki were stuck with the many possible consequences of that little incident.

"Alcott. Shinonono."

"Yes, ma'am?" They both said.

"I want to talk with you two after school today...in private."

"*SHUDDER*"

Lunch was...

"Get me outta here..." terrifying for Lincoln.

"Ahhh-ow! Ow..." and painful for Ichika.

"So, are you, like, the strongman in your family?" A student asked.

"Oh, come on! He's the only guy in the family!" Someone interrupted.

"Dangit...I need my shoulders for this..." Ichika grunted.

"Let me feed you, then!" A student initiated the love-piling.

"No, me!"

"I have steady hands, you know."

"No, no," Ichika tried to shrug them off, "I am perfectly capable of feeding myself, thanks..." That only got the crowd even more riled up.

Until Lincoln, without thinking, "Let me help," picked up his spoon.

"Are you sure, Linc?"

"It's fine," and held it to Ichika's mouth, "I did this for Leni when she got sick."

"Careful, that's hot..."

"Oh, right. Uh...*soft blowwwwwwww*...How's that?"

"I can handle it...*bite*...Mm! Nope, still can't..."

And while the crowd only fantasied more intensely about the boys' time together, Cecilia and Houki just stared. With lovingly...vengeful...eyes...

The school day ended on a strange note. Normally, Ichika would be going to the training session, but he's been ordered to take the next 24 hours off. So, while he's been hauled off back to his dorm room, Houki and Cecilia were "meeting" with Chifuyu in 1-1.

And it wasn't pretty. They were reprimanded for the manhandling by a 30-minute detention, which Houki didn't mind, yet Cecilia overreacted. At minute 28, Chifuyu approached Houki, "Shinonono, the shot troops have informed me that you had distracted the rouge IS yesterday, allowing the others to destroy it."

"Uh-Yes! That's exactly what I had in mind," Houki quickly agreed.

Cecilia knew what Chifuyu actually meant, "I communicated with her before she rushed outside and told her the plan."

"If all that is seriously to be believed," Chifuyu played a voice recording, "then, why this outburst?..." that played, very _very_ clearly...

["If you're a man...IF YOU'RE A MAN, THEN YOU'D BETTER DEFEAT THE ENEMY COMPLETELY!"]

"Oh..." Houki was had, "That... I just...I had to get their-"

"You do realize..." Chifuyu spoke in a haunting tone, "...that that would have been _**it**_ for you, correct?"

"*GULP*..."

"The only reason you survived is by the grace of a plasma barrier emitted by a barbell twirler and a cellphone addict," Chifuyu said, "I hope you will take into account the impact of the risks you take from now on."

"Yes, ma'am..." Houki muttered.

"And Alcott," Chifuyu turned to Cecilia, "I find it hard to believe that you ordered a distraction... and even harder to believe that you didn't stop her from becoming that distraction."

"With all due respect, ma'am," Cecilia said, "I saw two girls rush out to her defense."

"Two girls that ran out of energy when Orimura stopped the attack."

"Huh?!"

"A simple "GET OUT" would have been more than sufficient. What if those girls had not been there to deflect the laser? Or, better yet, were evaporated during the blast?"

"Oh...uh...hhh..."

"And I thought Ichika was the dense one..." Chifuyu rubbed her eyes, "You two need to be more careful with situations like this and not get in over your heads. Some time in the future you won't be able to turn back from a mistake you could make, whether or not you're the one who caused it."

Later that night, while the two were on their way to dinner...

"I must say, this caused quite the problem for my personal record..." Cecilia mused.

"It's just a detention," Houki said, "What's there to worry about?..."

"While we were trapped in that prison, that restaurant girl might've gotten the jump on us and made her move on him! She's not even well endowed, or considered of sufficient height! What would Ichika possibly see in her that none of us have?"

"Childhood friends...Wait, that's what you're worried about?..."

"What does one's friendship have anything to do with attraction?!"

"Looks and feats aren't everything, ok?..."

When they left the dorm halls and entered the cafeteria, they heard a loud trampling.

"I have waited LONG ENOUGH!" A student screamed.

"Let's snuggle him!" Another shouted.

"WHAT HAPPENED TO WATCHING WHAT WE WERE DOING?!" Lincoln ran for his love life.

"Your fault, bruh!" Night Club shouted while riffing WTO-Finale.

"Say...didn't he say that he already has a girlfriend?" Cecilia muttered.

"Now that you mention it...I did hear someone say that," Houki immediately started forming a plan.

"Just a peek, please?!" A student almost nabbed him.

But Lincoln successfully jumped the walls and decor to evade the others, "GET YOUR OWN SUNGLASSES!"

"Sunglasses?!" Cecilia and Houki repeated...before joining the hunt for the males.

"¡Ándale! ¡Ándale!" Night Club didn't bother helping.

Lincoln had escaped to the sanctuary of 1025. He was getting ready for bed when he received a call from Lola and Lisa.

"I AM NOT NARCISSISTIC!" Lola screamed.

"What's that about?..." Lincoln wondered.

"Don't you play coy with me, you vicious rumor-spreading lying Philistine!"

"She's perturbed by your comparison of her self image to this Alcott woman's self image," Lisa explained.

"For days?..." Lincoln-

"You might as well have ruined my reputation! My pageant career is over!" Lola got paranoid, "AND I HAVE YOUR SASSY LITTLE MOUTH TO BLAME FOR THE-"

"Whoa, there, young steed!" Lisa scattered glitter across the computer desk, "At ease, at ease...your pageant is tomorrow..."

Lola slowly calmed down thanks to the glitter, and the constant patting on her back... "I'm ok... I am totally ok..."

"It's not paradise in here at all," Lincoln complained, "I can't blink my eyes without having someone pop up on my NECK!"

"And I can't go one step without having someone giving me a massage that's...not really a massage..." Ichika added.

"Probably best you kept that in your head..." Lisa pointed to Lola's...flushed face...

"Uh, what's with her?" Ichika asked.

"Oh no..." Lincoln facepalmed, "Prison Pageants-"

"-went that direction," Lisa said, "Apparently, not even the discussion of criminal records is off limits to-"

"Maybe you oughta get some of that treatment yourself, just to relieve some of that filthy pressure," Lola made Lincoln and Ichika uncomfortable.

"Ok, Miss Queenie Princess," Lisa scooted her out, "You have a competition tomorrow, so why don't you take the necessary precautions and leave us be?"

"Fine," Lola left for her room, while shouting offscreen, "I HOPE THAT STUPID ACADEMY GIVES YOU RABIES!"

"Change the subject!" Lincoln blurted, "What's the call about?"

"Trouble on our horizon," Lisa shrunk her camera screen and... "We're at risk of a major fallout. Someone's captured a photo of...this..."

"Are you-how?!" Lincoln saw it...a snapshot of him in the squirrel costume, far away from his family, on that day...

"Is anyone ostracizing your family yet?" Ichika was almost afraid to ask.

"That's the strangest part," Lisa showed three diagrams, "From Lynn's report of RW Middle, the student body is split between endlessly assaulting us and endlessly assaulting those who are attempting to endlessly assault us. High school would be faring slightly better, were it not for the school's sophomore class intaking every toxic rumor they come across."

"What about elementary school?..." Lincoln asked.

"Standard reaction. All they saw was a plush toy who came in a mechanized exoskeleton."

"Uh...didn't Chandler have any thing to do with this?..."

"He was our very first suspect, but he vehemently denies it, referencing the "undeserved publicity" given unto you. He hasn't come anywhere near the gossip groups that permeate throughout middle school."

"Great...So no leads anywhere..."

"Did anybody outside of Royal Woods see you...in that thing?" Ichika asked.

"I'm investigating that right now," Lisa said, "So far, the only leads I found are Jason and Juniper, both relatives of Hank and Hawk, who boasted quite the ego about the picture. I'm working with Clyde to track their movements, and Luna and Lynn are working on a plan to attract them. We'll be ready to mobilize the moment they set foot in Royal Woods."

"I'm getting a weird vibe from all this..." Lincoln muttered.

"Think nothing of it," Lisa assured, "We will have this mess sorted out before the holidays."

"Some week, huh?" Ichika said.

"I don't think it's that bad..." Lincoln thought, but then he heard someone knock at the door, "And now it is..."

"I got it," Ichika said, "Why don't you and Lisa chat some more in private?"

"Good thinking," Lincoln took his laptop to the shower while Ichika opened the door to insanity.

"So, about that photo," Lincoln said, "How is it getting such a bad reception?"

"My guess is that they tied it to a scathing rumor," Lisa said, "As of now, I am still unable to confirm the truth of that matter, despite some blabbermouths blurting out rumors of conflicting opinions..."

"And my profile might include that, too...I'll see if I can do damage assessment on my end."

"Then, I shall confer with Lori about our status-"

"Lincoln?" Ichika interrupted the conversation, "We got a Code Red!"

"Oy vey..." Lincoln facepalmed.

"I see you and Mister Orimura are on exceptionally amicable terms," Lisa grew suspicious upon hearing the code for 'unforeseen monkey wrench in a planned event'.

"I'll call you back..." Lincoln cut communication. He was about to shut the laptop when he received a notification from his email:

**Saw that photo. Sometimes, to beat a giant asshole, you have to be a slightly smaller asshole.**

**-AAdsz **

"The heck does that mean?..." Now he shut his laptop.

Ten minutes later...

"How come you never told me your playdatew was this weekend?!" Cecilia demanded.

"And how come you're doing it with number two?!" Houki demanded.

"She just came off the heels of a divorce," Ichika tried to reason with them, "Doesn't it make sense to try and comfort her?"

"But why you?!" Houki screamed, "How come it has to be just you alone?!"

"Come on, What's wrong with a little one-on-one time?" Ichika said, "Besides, I already said that I wasn't dating her, right?!"

"You're obviously missing the point!" Cecilia nagged.

"Yeah, so what is the So-called point?!" Ichika demanded.

"Why would we tell you?!"

"Because we're friends, aren't we?!"

"Me and Cecilia are!" Houki butt in, "But between you is a-" she stopped herself when she felt Cecilia pinching her shoulder.

"Yeah?" Ichika demanded, "Go on?"

"Well, we..." Houki gave up, "You...you're too dense to understand."

"Then give it to us straight," Lincoln...out of nowhere!

Making the two girls yelp.

"Weeeeell?" Lincoln sat on the chair in his douchebag pose, "What is he to you two?"

The boys gave the girls a full minute to hammer out an excuse before scooting them out.

The weekend came. And with it, Ichika's birthday, and an autumn festival. Ichika planned to meet with Rin at the local festival, with Lincoln tagging along as the third wheel bodyguard. Taking a cue from his "fair balancing act" with Lori and Bobby, Lincoln opted to not interfere with the festivities unless it was to prevent someone else from interfering. And knowing his luck, and his current juggling act with multiple personal crises, trouble was always around the corner.

In this case, it came in the form of a kendo monster and a girly giantess.

"I can't believe it," Houki growled, "Of all the people to go with, why her?!"

"And why is Lincoln the one guarding them?!" Cecilia complained, "There must be a workaround for this disastrous-"

SAVVY SUITE - SHIELD 78/137%

"Whoa, did you hear that?" Houki heard footsteps.

"I think that's your ribbon interacting with the wind," Cecilia said before someone tapped her shoulder, "I didn't see any more unnecessary activity yet, Houki."

"Not Houki."

"Wha-YA-MMMFMMMGHMMMM-" Cecilia was quickly gagged by a fuzzy die and grabbed in a headlock.

By High Card?! "Mind telling me why you're tailgating a dunderhead and an amateur kitsune?"

"Ptui!" Cecilia spat the fluff out, "What's it to you why we're following them?!"

"Because Ace has ordered their play date be-" whisper "-_uninterrupted_..."

Houki muffled a scream of pure terror.

"What was that?" Lincoln turned around.

"Probably just a dramatization of a love confession," Strong Suit said, "You know their fluttering leaves."

"Can't argue with that."

"Dudes, check me out!" Night Club suddenly came up to them in a kimono, "Gotta say, the shrine maidens know their fashion!"

"That's not gonna trigger any unwanted flags, is it?" Strong Suit cringed at the thought.

"I hope not," Lincoln muttered while Night Club pumped her fists in excitement. Just then, his belt beeped an alarm.

"Guys, trouble on the horizon," from High Card, "Poker Drill and Ribbon Flush have arrived on the scene."

"Who?" Strong Suit cocked her head.

"Cecilia and Houki. Big green ribbon and big yellow hair."

"Oh no..." Lincoln and Strong Suit groaned.

"Ok, formation group!" Night Club huddled the two together, "Ace, you stay near the players. Suit, mid-range. High and I will watch the long distance."

"I'm all over it!" Strong Suit departed.

"I told them to piss off, but they'll be back in three minutes," High Card said, "Night, take the southern end."

"Ooh!" Night Club brightened up, "that's the musicians'-"

"Remember the mission, rockhead."

"Dangit..." and slumped over to her position.

"Ok...focus..." Lincoln centered himself, "Keep the play date between two, look for Squirrel Boy, and don't get caught...Well, better get my withdrawal ready."

"Oh, have some faith, why don't you," High Card cut communication and sent him on his way.

"I guess...Wait-ugh..." Lincoln was suddenly reminded of a similar situation...

_("We have a reservation at Jean Juan's French-Mex Buffet at six! AND YOU WILL MAKE HER FEEL LIKE THE MOST SPECIAL GIRL IN THE WORLD!")_

"Nope...get it outta your head..."

The first stop on the festival walk was a fish scooping game.

"You know, I wouldn't have guessed that you could take a beating well," Rin joked.

"Hey, the day is far from over," Ichika said, "I can still win this."

Cecilia and Houki were staring from a couple booths over.

"Look at that little restaurant girl hogging him all to herself," Cecilia taunted, "So unbecoming of her."

"I'm gonna tear him a new one when we get back," Houki growled.

"Why wait? We could sabotage activities and ruin their day that way."

"Ok, so what's our first move?"

Strong Suit from behind, "Might I suggest throwing in the towel?"

"AAAAA!" The girls screamed, "THE JOCK!"

"Because stalking is so unbecoming of you," Strong Suit leaned against a wooden pole from an unfinished stand, which- "Huh-WAAAA-BLAGUPHGH..." collapsed on her.

STRONG SUIT — SHIELD 10/15%

Ichika heard it, "What was that?"

"Probably a doofus," Rin said, "Or a stalker from the Academy..."

"Oh no," Ichika groaned, "They actually went and did it."

Lincoln grabbed some sunglasses and a black jacket, and appeared behind them, "Apologies, but the perimeter has been compromised. We need to vacate immediately."

"Huh? To where?!" Ichika demanded.

"Whoa, stuffy stuffy," Rin was pushed along with them.

They trio left as soon as they could, leaving the fallen fortune-telling stand behind.

"Grr! They're onto us!" Houki growled.

"We must be discrete now," Cecilia said, "Let's circle around to their frontside, just beyond their field of vision." She led Houki out of the stands and through the festival trail.

While Strong Suit popped a hand out, earning the scared moans of whoever was unfortunate enough to see it, "I'm ok! I don't feel anything! Really!"

The next stop was a paper candy stall.

"Oh, I've never gotten the hang of this game...ever," Rin commented.

"Really?" Ichika said, "I used to play with it on my downtime."

"What'll it be, young man?" An elderly woman asked.

"2500p, please." Ichika received a rather difficult stencil, along with a thumbtack and a piece of candy to cut.

"Pftt-really? You're in way over your head, aren't you?" Rin scoffed, "Ma'am, can I see a 1000p piece, please?"

"Nu-uh. You are not."

"Oh, I am," Rin smirked as she was given a nigh-impossible template to follow, "And you are gonna eat my dust, jerk!"

Lincoln was playing a water gun game, keeping a very close eye on the two, when he noticed the elderly woman get bribed into switching out with Houki, ribbon and all.

"Alert," he said, "Hokey Ribbon has taken the initiative. Everyone gather to my location."

Houki had finished swapping out with the elder. There she was, staring at Ichika, who was having fun with someone that wasn't her. She was close to sabotaging Rin,

when Night Club came in with a wig, "What are you doing, Komana?! You are needed on the parade route!"

"Huh?! Hey! What are you-" Houki was dragged out.

"Let's go, slack jaw! Get down there and land the dragon safely!"

Ichika could not help but notice that. "Uh, what just happened-"

"Hahahaaaa!" Rin cheered, "Read it and weep!" Rin shoved a perfectly-tacked silhouette of a rock girl in his face.

High Card suddenly showed up in a disguise as well, "Well well, not bad. That's 1000 points for you, young woman."

"What? How's that-" Ichika stopped short of recognizing that short blonde hair, "Lori?!"

-CRACK!-

and breaking his pink clover.

"Oh, sorry, lad," High Card said, "No points for you. It's clear who the winner is."

"Heheheh," Rin chuckled, "Now I get to pick our next activity."

Ichika got slightly nervous. Lincoln sighed in relief. Cecilia angrily hauled tail after the pair.

Rin led Ichika all the way to a shooting game.

"Hahaha! Now, this I can do!" Rin triumphantly declared, "No way you can fib your way out this time!"

"Do we have to?..." Ichika groaned.

"Why, yes we do," Rin shoved him over to the station, "Yeesh, and I thought they looked terrifying from afar..."

The weapons were just cork guns, but they were nonetheless intimidating, especially when it came to their intended targets: stuffed animals.

"What will it be, children?" A woman asked.

"Twin pistols!" Rin grabbed two BB guns and immediately fired a pair at a stuffed dog, which strangely didn't fall off, "Huh. Thought these packed a bigger punch..."

"Let me try," Ichika picked up a rifle and fired a blunt round at that same dog, and it fell over, "Hahaa!"

"Whaaat?!"

"Here you go, sweetie" the woman gave him the dog.

"Ok...let me try this one," Rin cracked her neck and fired at a smaller stuffed animal, and it didn't fall over, "Ok, weird."

"Is something wrong, child?" The woman asked.

"Oh, no," Rin answered, "Just...something's off with my gun," completely unaware that it was actually Cecilia in a disguise the whole time.

'Hohoho, this is your first and last date, restaurant girl,' Cecilia thought, 'I knew you liked things in pairs, so I rigged your pistols with paper blanks! You will never have a satisfying experience with Ichika ever!'

"Well," Ichika said, "Why don't we hit up that big one then? Together."

That caught 'the woman's' attention, "Oh, we can't allow that! Only one person per shot."

"Huh," Rin mused, "Ok, then let's go for the feet."

"Hmm..." Strong Suit saw the whole scene play out and knew what Cecilia was up to. So, she snuck behind the stand and started to wave her fingers, "Uka ala uka ala uka ala~~~"

"Ok..." Rin took aim, "Here goes...something!" and fired.

"Be-bleh!" Strong Suit clenched her fists at the same time the pistols fired and gave them extra power, just enough to propel the blanks to the duck's feet and topple it, "Too easy, and too satisfying."

STRONG SUIT — SHIELD 8/15% (WARNING)

"UH!" Cecilia was floored, "Uh...Uh..."

"Hahahaa! Score one for the big game home!" Rin cheered, "I'll take that to go, please."

Cecilia was forced to yield the small animal to Rin, lest her cover be blown. She was free to express her frustration when the two left, "I don't understand! How in the world did mere paper blanks topple a well-placed duck?!"

Suddenly... "More like, how did you stuff paper inside a barrel."

"YAAAA!"

Strong Suit. "You think those drills can hold guns? I know they can hold cups, but-"

"OUT! GET OUT!"

"WEES'**NAW**!"

After a few more games, and a few more mishaps from Lincoln's gang, Ichika and Rin were just walking around the festivities. Lincoln was still watching them from a few yards, while Night Club was-

"And it all comes together in one beautifully strung chord."

-lollygagging with locals who were infatuated with her charm and her musical prowess.

NIGHT CLUB — SHIELD 7/18% (WARNING)

Strong Suit caught up to her music-loving superior, "Uh, Night? Shouldn't we be watching out for those IS people?"

"What's the rush?" Night Club responded, "We ain't gotta worry one bit. Young Man Plushie's having a ball watching the playdate already." She pointed her thumb to Lincoln eyeing the parade, of which he noticed Houki leading the procession.

"Sucks to be her," Strong Suit joked, "That costume has to be taxing underneath the silk."

"Especially..." Night Club strummed a few notes on her shamisen, which earned a few swoons from her already noticeable fan base.

"Well, maybe you could put that to good use?" Strong Suit pointed to the parade closing in on Ichika and Rin's location.

"I'm all over this!" Night Club ran out to meet them.

Right before High Card came up, "Suit, you got a moment?!"

"What's got your cards ruffled in a-" That's when Suit saw it, "Well, BAALS to you!"

High Card caught a post of Lincoln in the squirrel costume, "This is our second objective. It's just been posted to 4chan, and already it's facing the meme baptism."

"Who did this?!"

"That group," High Card pointed to a group of people by a mocha stand, "That's where their IP Address leads."

"Oh, I'm gonna rip off a piece of their minds like chicken nuggets!" Strong Suit ran off to confront the group.

"I guess I'll keep Ace away from the kerfuffle," High Card said exasperated.

HIGH CARD — SHIELD 15/20%

Lincoln was sitting underneath a tree, just beyond Houki's line of sight. And for the second time in his life, he was actually enjoying his lone time, "I guess I made the right move coming here. I got a front row seat to traditional and culture!" He was marveling at the many dances and sets, while checking on Ichika and Rin. He saw that the two were having a good time, and he saw that Houki had settled in comfortably as the banner girl for the parade.

High Card leaned against his tree, "Having fun?"

"Feels like it," Lincoln said, "I can't remember the last time I got to just watch life happen around me."

"Enjoy it while it lasts. We all know what's coming up next month."

"Oh, yeah. The inter-class tournament," he groaned, "I do not get these people."

"Don't sweat it," High Club watched the parade slowly pass by her, "I'm sure you'll see your needs fulfilled in due time."

Lincoln thought about that. He did draw up a quick page about how the hero could never truly forgive or forget, no matter how much they wanted it. He saw Ichika and Rin riffing on the banner girl for lacking the fight and spirit. He was about to tell them to tone it down, when-

-BAM!-

"What's your problem-AAAGAH!"

"Squirrel Boy's my problem!"

"He's just a silly little-UGH!"

"He's a hero!"

"He ain't worth the liver you're ruining for this!"

"What was that?" Lincoln turned back to the food court.

"Oh no..." High Card led him to a stand that had fallen, thanks to Strong Suit unloading on a group of men who posted the squirrel boy picture.

"Little girls have no right to-" a man stopped short of being shoved into a tree, "-AGH! How... did you-"

"I used the anger I got from seeing you post the picture to your chat group," Strong Suit threw two other men against him, "Now, you're gonna take it down, or else-"

"Strong Suit, no!" Lincoln shouted, "Stand down!"

"Why? He was this close to posting it everywhere!" Strong Suit said.

"I cut off the network in this area!" High Card said, "He can't share it anywhere!"

"Wait, wait, wait!" The man said, "What network?!"

"Hey!" One of his friends said, "You're that kid! The one in the squirrel costume!"

_("¡Música!")_

_("No! No música!")_

_("LINCOLN!")_

_("Is she your girlfriend?")_

"Huh?!" High Card checked her phone and saw that the photo was shared manually. She stopped it from being shared outward, but she couldn't prevent others from coming into the field and showing it to other people. She growled and tapped Night Club's icon and communicated to her, "Night, we've been compromised!"

"Wuzzat?" Night Club spoke over the music she was playing for her nearby pack of fans.

"The mission is a failure! Get Ichika and Rin out now!" High Card commanded...too late.

"Hey, look what some guy gave me!" A girl showed her friends the pic.

"Oh, poop..." Night Club responded, "I'm gonna try to do damage control and extraction at the same time!"

Ichika was walking with Rin on the sidewalk, "I gotta admit... that was a good time I had."

"Same here!" Rin cuddled him, "We oughta do this again before the tournament!"

"I didn't know you could get excited about a simple hangout."

Rin pouted, "It's a little more than a mere hangout for me, ok?"

"Sure, sure..." Ichika wagged, then turned his head to a small commotion behind them, "Seems like Lincoln has his hands full..."

"I'm sure he's caught up in the festivities," Rin said, "Maybe we missed out on the best part."

"That you did!" Night Club popped up and startled them, "And seeing how the best part is always the last, how about we call it a night, Huh?" Stretch "Oooooh! I'm beat..."

"How's That, now?..." Rin tilted her head.

"Is everything ok?" Ichika sounded suspicious.

"Oh, definitely! I...just..." Night Club quickly materialized an acoustic guitar, "...thought of a song I wanted to sing. Yeah, that's it!"

NIGHT CLUB — SHIELD 4/18% (CRITICAL)

"Oh," Rin nodded, "I guess a song couldn't hurt."

"I...ok..." Ichika was close to going back to the Academy, when he heard a very heavy clang at the food court. "Who in the-" In that instant, he saw a white tuff of hair and a brown ponytail colliding with each other, "Lincoln!" He slipped out of Rin's hug, "Sorry, Rin! I have to take this!" and ran towards the chaos.

"I wouldn't recommend it, dude!" Night Club tried to stop him, "That barbell weighs a crap ton of hurt!"

"I'll take my chances," Ichika shoved her aside and fled into the scene, with Rin tailing him.

Meanwhile...

"Who else wants some roadkill?!" Strong Suit was livid. She told numerous people to delete the photo, only for them to outright refuse and suffer her wrath.

"You have to stop!" Lincoln couldn't calm her down, "It's just a photo!"

"A photo of the worst moment in Loud history!" Strong Suit protested, "How do you expect me to not do anything?!"

"What photo?" Cecilia asked.

"This one," a girl showed her.

And Cecilia was appalled, "Oh my...can we take it down?!"

"Why would you? This is rich!"

"How about my 45s on your digits?!" Strong Suit got onto the girl.

"No, don't!" Lincoln tackled Strong Suit to the ground.

"Yeah, control your sister, Squirrel Boy!" Another girl taunted.

"Hey, that's his parents' fault!" Another butt in, "Leave him alone!"

"Why?! He almost socked me!"

"But I didn't-" Lincoln stopped short of seeing three guys argue over the photo:

"Seriously, where is he?"

"Dude, don't."

"Lay off, man."

"Hey, that's him!"

"Ease up! He's just a kid!"

"He did it to himself."

_("Ronnie and Lincoln, sitting in a tree, K-I-S-S-I-N-G!")_

_("YOU!")_

_("Ooooh! *SLAP* Ohhhh...")_

"Oh no...not again..." Lincoln was defeated. The cycle has officially restarted. They all saw the thing. They're quickly placing the blame. And they've singled him out.

"I think we need to bail!" High Card dragged him out "OOF!" only to run into Rin, "Hey, what are you doing here?!"

Rin pointed to Houki, who shared in the laughter of the photo.

High Card zipped to Houki, "Give it here!"

"What? No!"

"Hands off, blonde bimbo!" The girl took it back.

"Ace, over here!" Night Club called out, and Strong Suit shoved him over to Ichika's side.

"I got him!" Ichika shouted, "Everybody out now!" He grabbed Lincoln's hand and ran off, while Rin grabbed Night Club and bolted after the boys.

High Card and Strong Suit stayed behind and made sure no one came after Lincoln.

"Where is that little rascal?" Houki asked.

"Did you hear me?!" Cecilia nagged, "We have to leave now!" She grabbed Houki's hand and quickly ran out.

"Wait!" Another man stopped them, "Do you know him?!"

"That kid was just here!" A woman said, "Did you see where he's gone?!"

"Uh, no!" Cecilia stammered, "He's just visiting! We only talked once-"

"Actually," Houki ruined it, "he's the world's youngest pilot."

"I knew I recognized him!" A girl cheered.

"HE'S A WHAT?!" The man screeched.

"He can't be a pilot! Only women can pilot an IS!"

"But the news said there were two male pilots~~~"

At that point, the food court became a frenzy of talk. All sorts of words being spread about how Squirrel Boy has came from IS Academy to view their very own parade party.

"Now, you've done it..." High Card funneled nearly all of her energy into her cellphone to drain every single mobile device in her vicinity of all battery life.

HIGH CARD — SHIELD 1/20% (CRITICAL)

High Card sensed that Lincoln was too far away to maintain her link, meaning that he was out of these people's blabbering range, "Strong Suit! Withdraw!"

"Uh...right," Strong Suit nodded and fizzled out of existence, shocking everyone who had surrounded her.

"And, you two!" High Card dragged Houki and Cecilia away from the scene and into an empty park. Then, she slapped them.

"Ow!" Houki flinched, "What was that for?!"

"Quite right!" Cecilia yelped, "What is the meaning of-"

"I told you to piss of, but you didn't listen!" High Card boomed, "Which one of you cucks told them he's from IS Academy?!"

Houki froze. She didn't know what to say, as she has now sent a huge crowd after the Academy solely for the purpose of Swuirrel Boy.

"Yeah. Thought so," High Card started to fade, "Don't let the branches hit you on your way back," she said as she, too, fizzled out of existence.

"Oh my..." Cecilia sighed, "What a disastrous night..."

"I'll say..." Houki agreed.

"Seriously?! Why'd you tell them he's at the Academy?!"

"If I didn't, they'd never leave us alone! They'll follow us until they see the giant tower of Arena 6!"

"Maybe a little white lie could've crossed your mind?!"

"Uh...no, it hasn't..."

"Gah!" Cecilia grabbed Houki's hand again and dragged her away, "All I wanted was a good little story about me and Ichika! And now, it's gotten completely discombobulated because of that stupid photo bad luck thing!"

"What did you think you would accomplish with that?!" Houki stammered, "Ichika probably asked Lincoln to guard him!"

"Well, I wanna hear that from him! I want a full explanation for this farce!"

Back at room 1025, Ichika, Rin, and Night Club were all catching their breath. Lincoln, however, resigned himself to an unusually long shower.

"What the heck was that?" Rin asked, "One minute we were walking along the river front, and the very next minute we were whisked away to kingdom come."

"Maybe we could ask him," Night Club pointed to the shower room, "He's seen exactly what we were trying to avoid."

"And what would that be?" Ichika asked before he saw Rin's bracelet light up a notification from the communication channel.

"I'm guessing it had everything to do with this thing," Rin accesses the notification, which led her to a certain post on social media.

It was two photos. One was a picture of Lincoln donning the Squirrel costume, looking despaired before his face was covered. The second was a picture of him fully inside the squirrel costume, looking downtrodden as the rest of his family was happily frolicking away at the beach.

"Máo liánmǐn...(Mao have mercy...)" Rin gasped.

"Oh poop deck..." Night Club facepalmed herself, "This post is spreading like wildfire..."

"Look, we don't need to dig too deeply into this whole mess, do we?" Ichika said, "It's something he doesn't like to..." He stopped talking when he received the look of shame from Rin.

"Uh, quick question," Rin said, irritated, "How did Lincoln come by the IS?..."

While Ichika and Rin were discussing the real origin of Lincoln's powers, the white-haired boy was busy drowning in his thought amid the shower's false warmth. He saw the photos that were posted online and wondered if there was any way to reduce the damage. The photo had already been shared to everyone in the Academy by now. Chances are, he would be challenged about the photo and who might've taken it, as well as...

_("Put the head back on so we don't get stung by a jellyfish!")_

Was it then? Did they take the photo then, without anyone noticing? And what else did they hear?

_("**IT'S THE SAME ONE-TWO PUNCH EVERY SINGLE DAY! WE NEVER! EVER! EVER LEARN!"**)_

_("That's the kid! That's the boy in the squirrel costume!")_

_("Hey, cut it out! How'd you like it if you're in that thing?!")_

"What am I doing?..." he muttered, "I forgave them, didn't I?..."

"Sure you won't reconsider?"

"Huh?!" Lincoln jolted and turned around. He wiped away the foggy steam from the glass door and peered out to the sink.

"Are you sure you meant it?" It was Lynn. With a baseball bat.

"AAAAA!" Lincoln dropped keel and backed away from the door, accidentally causing the shampoo and shower hose to fall, "What are you doing here?!"

"Just wanted to make sure," 'Lynn' said, "You're coming to my softball game, right?"

Before, Lincoln had no choice but to reconsider because she was the only one with threateningly persuasive speech. But now that he has a means to defend himself...

"Make me, you trashy mudhead!" He deployed his arms and wing units.

"Oh, I knew it," 'Lynn' readied her bat, "You _are_ bad luck, albino!" She charged at the glass door.

Lincoln was ready this time. He contacted the door the moment 'Lynn' slammed her bat onto it. She blocked both his arms and used her bat to push him back against the wall.

"Ugh..." he grunted, "and you are a fake..."

He slipped a card through the bat and punched her upward. She just flipped over and slammed the bat downward, which he blocked using his wing units. When he felt the bat striking him, he pushed the shield upward and locked himself in a power struggle with her. When he was close to getting the upper hand-

"Dude! Stop! Open your eyes, man!"

"Stay out of this, Luna!" Lincoln shouted, "I have to get Lynn out!"

"Not Lynn!"

"What?!" Lincoln was dragged off by Night Club. And only after she wipe his eyes did he truly see who he fought.

The 'Lynn' in his vision was just Rin, who came busting on him when he keeled over and caused a clatter.

"Dude..." Rin said, gripping her double-bladed staff while Ichika was helping her up, "You got issues..."

"I don't...How was I..." Lincoln struggled to wrap his long around what just happened, when all of a sudden Night Club fizzled out of existence.

He could have sworn he got over it and moved on. But he remained stuck in the moment, unable to run from his own feelings anymore. He said he forgave them.

But did he really want to?


	13. Lynner Won't Recall (Part 1)

The next morning came and went. Lincoln woke up extra early and spent his morning in the martial arts dojo, thinking about how everything went well yesterday, only to have it all ruined that night. He wondered how no one caught that post sooner, and how it's affecting his family back home. He also wondered about the possibility of being absolutely trampled by questions about the pictures to no end. He knew he would never be able to find a good excuse. Especially when Maya and Chifuyu come knocking on the door demanding what went down in the dorms.

"Perfect..." he said, "As if I couldn't get any more bad blood..."

"Figured you'd be here," Ichika walked up from behind and sat down next to him.

"Oh...what are you doing here?"

"I got early morning training. Or so Houki says."

"What about Cecilia?"

"She told me what Houki said to those people. I'm rather shocked myself. I asked Houki about it, and she dragged me out here."

"Oh, of all the-" Lincoln got up and banged a few fists on a tree, "Why?! Do I get?! Emotionally?! Constipated?! Now?! Of all times?!" He kept letting out his frustrations until the tree snapped in half and fell on the sidewalk, scaring a couple students. "Uh...sorry! Sorry, I didn't-" He caught himself saying the word, "Ugh, what am I doing..."

"You still need some time to cool off?" Ichika asked.

"Yeah..." Lincoln nodded, "I think I saw a diner off the monorail..."

"I'll come with," Ichika led him out, "Gonna go visit Ran and catch up with him."

"Oh no, you're not!" Houki showed up with a pair of bamboo blades, "You're going to get back inside and train!"

"Come on! Why don't we wait till tomorrow!" Ichika stuttered, "Tomorrow's my birthday, so we can train all you want then."

"You skip one day, you'll skip a whole bunch of days! Get back inside and-" Houki stopped short of spotting Lincoln right by the door.

Giving off a vibe of murderous intent, "Twelve thousand yen says you did it on purpose."

No one, not even the bullies from her past, had ever looked at Houki like that. Those gray eyes were like knives to her own heart. She was forced to relent her grip on Ichika, watching emotionless as the two boys departed for the monorail.

At the diner, Lincoln ate in silence. It's the first time he's been able to fully contextualize his thoughts since...

_("Just another perk of the bad luck life. Now, I can play video games while I eat.")_

...that. Unlike the breakfast and game combo, there's no distractions here.

He ran his mind through everything that happened last night. Someone had to have heard all that ruckus and reported it. Not only that, but he must've been feeling very angsty because he disregarded every single video call that came his way.

_("Ok. I forgive you.")_

He was sure they'll bring that line up as insurance. While he would wade through the mess Houki caused, they would work their way through their mess...maybe make it bigger given the plan to use Justin and Juniper to get to Hank and Hawk? That could only end in destruction. In fact, now that he was thinking about it...didn't they get apologetic when he confronted them in front of the beach goers? Heck, Lori was the only person who truly knew what would have happened before things went south. And for all he knew, Lily might've blown that raspberry at him because she either: was too young to understand, or called BS on his bad luck scam.

What did that say about everyone else? Would they have gone on to parade him around like a furry trophy? Would they learn only when something threatened to derail their good mood?

_("I'm not gonna stop apologizing, you hear?...")_

Lynn's last line to him... he couldn't help but question its authenticity. Specifically, what would she have said if Chifuyu and Maya hadn't intervened? What if no one knew why he was in that costume?

"Oh man..." he dropped his fork and rubbed his eyes, "I forgave them too early..."

"Forgave who now?"

"Huh?" He turned around, "Lynn?!"

"Not Lynn."

He rubbed his eyes again and saw the twin tails, "O-oh...Rin...what're you doing here?"

"Just wanted to see how you're holding up."

"Right..." Lincoln muttered, "After the...When?"

"I heard you started moping about how you missed your calls," Rin hopped on the barstool next to his, "So, What's got the ace shoved deep in a hole today?"

"Oh...a lot. I could've sworn that I saw my sister in the shower."

"Sooooo, uou confused me for your sister?..."

"Well..." and then he spent the next ten minutes detailing everything that led to his admittance to the IS Academy.

And only after several moments of silence did Rin give her final thoughts, "Yeah, I don't know what to tell you. You did have the right idea in keeping it friends with restrictions-oh, that is so satisfying to say."

"I guess," Lincoln said, "but I'm still reeling from all that. I mean, whoever posted that picture was..."

"Yeah, sucks to be us, huh?..." Rin said.

"Us? What do you mean by, us?"

"Your sister's "over the superstitious" ness. That's why my parents divorced."

Lincoln jolted, "Whoa. What? Where did that come from?..."

"I tend to stray away from stuff like that," Rin twirled her spoon, "But this doesn't look like it'll leave you alone any time soon. Plus, that's the kind of thing that tends to get worse the longer you ignore it."

"Great..." Lincoln plopped his head on the counter. He was very conflicted. He thought he could let go since he usually found it the easier and less painful solution, but ever since he arrived in Japan, it never left him. Maybe it was because things back at his house never take a moment to slow down; there was always something happening at every moment, preventing him from dwelling on moments too often. But once he was by himself, he had the time to think. He thought about all the good moments he shared with his sisters, but they were constantly drowned out by the bad.

"Hmm..." Rin could tell that he was bothered by it, but instead of dragging out the conversation, she suggested, "I think I know what'll ease your conscience."

"What's that?" Lincoln rolled his head over to match her gaze.

"How about we have a battle?"

Lincoln agreed. Sort of, "Why a fight?"

"Ichika told me you're trying to let it all go, but there's something holding you back."

At this point, he was down for anything to get some frustration out of his mind.

The two went to Arena 3 to prepare for battle. In holding area 3-3, Lincoln got a glimpse of Rin's Shenlong, "Close-quarter combat...and two cannons...looks like those things would hurt..." He saw her main weapon of choice, a pair of scimitars that could combine into one dual-bladed with staff, "So, a brawler. Ok... I think I know what to do..."

Rin got everything she needed from yesterday's guarding and the full report from the surprise attack. She led him to this fight, aiming to get him to let out his pent-up aggression. She wanted him to drop his hesitation and empty his system to the point of tiring himself out. To that end, she asked Akina to help with her hair, and Kim to gather every student that saw the post into the stands...basically half the first year class...

Rin was in holding area 3-2 staring at a mirror. "Hmm," she undid her hair and reworked it into a ponytail, "Holy...You were right," she narrowed her eyes as she realized what this practice match would entail, "Mirror Dimension indeed..."

"Ah, well," Akina said, "he hates and loves Lynn, so..."

"Let me guess. Take myself back 2 years?"

"Yep. Jack up the competitiveness and tone down the subtlety."

"Blugh..."

The stands were occupied with curious students who saw the two photos,

"I saw him in the pit! He's fighting the Representative Contender from China!"

"I feel sorry for him. He's gonna get his keister handed to him sideways."

"And those photos! What's the big story behind them?"

"I think he's even more adorable with the costume!"

"You can't be serious! Do you even know how he got inside it?"

"I can only imagine."

"I can't."

"Are you serious?" Cecilia was bewildered at the number of students who were attending on a Sunday, "How far did that post go?!"

"I didn't think it'd be this bad," Kim sat beside her, "Did Ichika say anything to you?"

"No. He left this morning to stay with a friend...most likely another potential friend from his childhood days," Cecilia grunted.

"Oh...well, what did you say to him, Houki? Uh, Houki? Houki!"

Kim couldn't reach her.

Houki's gaze never left the holding area Lincoln was in. Her mind was still occupied by the death glare she received. That chill never left her spine, and she couldn't figure out why.

"Of course, he would be infuriated," Kim snapped Houki back, "You just gave away his location to potential hecklers."

"What?!" Houki yelped, "I...Well...None of this would be happening if you hadn't tried to destroy the play date with Ichika!"

"Well, I never!" Cecilia was offended, "You coaxed me into the idea the minute we were pushed out of his room!"

"You could've talked me out of it! Or walked away from the thing!"

"You threatened me with a wooden sword. Right before bribing me."

"Ugh...you..." Houki turned away, "you wouldn't understand."

"Can you help us understand?" Kim asked.

Houki just pouted.

"Well, since you refuse to help us understand," Cecilia smirked, "I have no choice but to assume that you are just an angsty sourpuss."

"Hey!" Houki jumped, "What gave you that idea?!"

"It's like the old adage goes," Kim said, "If you don't say it, we'll say it for you," causing Houki to deflate into her seat.

Just then, another student saw Lincoln standing on the edge of the launch dock, "Oh, there he is!"

"Oh boy..."

Lincoln deployed his IS and floated out into full view of everyone who saw the squirrel costume. He already had reservations about this fight. He wasn't sure he wanted to answer questions about the lead up when it was all said and done.

Until Rin popped out of the pit and landed on the arena floor, looking mighty similar to...her.

LINCOLN LOUD (11) — SAVVY SUITE [SHIELD 137%]

LINGYIN HUANG (15) — SHENLONG [SHIELD 110%]

"What the devil is she doing?..." Cecilia wondered.

"She said something about confrontational therapy," Kim said.

"Oh no, this will get ugly, won't it..."

Lincoln's mind started playing tricks on him again. He knew that Lynn had never touched an IS before, but his eyes were wavering back and forth between Rin and Lynn, "Uh...What's with the new hair?..." he asked nervously.

"Thought I'd try a new look once in a while," Rin quipped.

"Maybe we should rethink this...I don't think it'd be a very entertaining match..."

Rin knew he would say that...which was why Akina told her to mimic Lynn's behavior in order to agitate him. She unsheathed her scimitars and attached them to form her staff.

Then, out of her mouth, while tapping her hands with her staff..."Sure you won't reconsider?"

Lincoln was immediately triggered. Not because of how well Rin mimicked Lynn, but because of what she said. His mind was brought back to that moment atop the staircase, the moment that his family did not know of. But much like the bathroom fiasco, he felt like he could defend himself.

Or attack. "Yes. I'm sure." The fight was on.

'Love-hate or hate-hate?' Rin thought, 'Either way-' BAM! "-KABABA-" She was Mega Kick'd against the wall.

SHENLONG — SHIELD 102/110%

Rin quickly recovered, "Hăo ba, qíu gěi nǐ! (Well, BALLS to you!)"

Rin rocketed towards Lincoln and repeatedly slammed her staff at him. He blocked all her strikes with just his arms, and soon found a workaround to her range of attack. He allowed a thrust of the staff to hit him, giving him just enough distance to throw his cards at her. She managed to hold her ground and block his long range attacks, but two cards had found their way to her twin cannons. He used the puff of smoke they created to circle around to her back and kick her down again, but she was able to push him away with a slash from her staff. The moment she contacted him, she opened cannon fire on him, forcing him upward and into long-range combat. She kept firing her cannons nonstop at him, keeping herself a couple feet off the ground to keep up with his movements. He kept bobbing and weaving, slowly growing more frustrated as his cards kept getting blasted before they could reach her and his openings to throw them kept diminishing.

SAVVY SUITE — SHIELD 93/137%

SHENLONG — SHIELD 95/110%

'He's getting antsy, but not antsy enough...' Rin thought, 'What more could I do to-' She had an idea '-false sense of security ex machina!' She shut off her cannons.

Lincoln's cards managed to find their way to Rin's barrier. He kept up the card-flinging while charging her position, "Night Club!"

SAVVY SUITE — SHIELD 75/137%

NIGHT CLUB — SHIELD 18%

"Time to jam, baby!" Night Club materialized on top of Lincoln and blasted a powerful sonic wave from her guitar.

"Hey!" Rin was immobilized. Her IS had become unresponsive, "Since when can you d-"

She was interrupted by Lincoln ramming his fists into her, plowing her into the ground.

"Swing away!" Night Club dropped down and swung her guitar at Rin, knocking the Shenlong upward and right into Lincoln.

"Knock'em dead!" Lincoln knocked Rin back down to the floor, crashing her a small crater.

"What is she to this guy..." Rin grunted. Just then, her IS returned to full functionality, and Lincoln and Night Club revved up for a crushing hit.

"Pump up the kicks!" Night Club blasted one last sonic wave while Lincoln let loose a full deck on the opposite side.

But Rin went wall-eyed for a millisecond and fired a shot at Night Club and Lincoln, locking them in place long enough for her to sidestep their attacks and make them hit each other. She threw a scimitar at Night Club, then flew at Lincoln and unloaded her cannons onto him until he was pushed back against the wall.

SAVVY SUITE — SHIELD 51/137%

NIGHT CLUB — SHIELD 0 (EMPTY)

SHENLONG — SHIELD 72/110%

Night Club slowly sat herself up, with half her face gone, "Huh...Well, that coulda gone better..." and fizzled out of existence.

"This is crazy," Lincoln's mind was going back between a real fight at the IS Academy and a play fight at home, "I never hit this hard before..." He scruffed himself off the wall and shook his head, "Ok...I know that I'm here at the Academy...but..." He keeps seeing visions of Lynn, when she was at her most aggressive.

And Rin saw his mentality slowly transitioning into that triggering moment. 'Ok, so it is working,' She said, 'Now for the haterade...' All she needed was a big breath in. And the rest took care of itself.

"Woo, Yeah! Potshot to the face! Who's your mama?!"

Hearing that made Lincoln snap for the second time in his life. If there was one obviously obnoxious quality about Lynn that no one could stand, it was her gloating. None of Luan's bad puns, however cringeworthy, could hold a candle to this.

_("Boo-yah! Lynner Lynner Chicken dinner!")_

_("In your faces! Who's number one?! I'm number one!")_

_("YES! I WIN! HAHAHAHAAAAA! Losers clean up.")_

_("Total victory! You suck! You suck! You suck! All of you suck! Can't nobody touch this!")_

'Come on, Loud. What's taking so long? I can't do this anymore...' Rin thought while dying inside each time she gloated, "Can't nobody touch this!"

"Hah...hahahah...hahaaahahahahahah..."

"Oh, finally..." Rin stopped her pelvic thrusts.

"You know something, Lynn?" Lincoln kept his head down, "I always wondered why everything you do always had intense emotion."

"Again, I'm not-" Rin suddenly felt a tap on her back.

SAVVY SUITE — SHIELD 37/137%

It was Strong Suit...for some reason... "Just go with it."

"Oh! Right," Rin remembered why she was hosting this battle and agreed to let it play out.

"Why do you have the absolute best and worst moments?...I never questioned it because you're my sister..."

"Guh..." Rin retched.

"But after that crap display of power, which I never told anyone about...I have to question it," Lincoln stood himself firm, "What is the matter with you, Lynn? Why do you care about your show of force so much that you would go out of your way to make me submit?"

'Ok, what would I say two years ago?...' Rin tried to be careful, but realized that it was her carelessness that needed to progress this fight to its intended heights. "Maybe it's because I'm just that good of a fighter, albino!"

Lincoln was done. Coupled with what happened yesterday, and the deep reflection he had this morning, it was done. And so was he, "That moment when I said I forgive you...it was at an impulse. I thought it would be so much easier to just let go."

"And, in we go," Rin said.

"Sorry about this," Strong Suit conjured a 1000 lb barbell and clocked Rin in the head, sending her flying into Lincoln's fist.

Lincoln punched Rin upward and pelted her with his 52-Card Pickup, then kicked her back down where Strong Suit knocked her across the floor, only to be pounded into the ground by Lincoln's slam kick.

"*COUGH*COUGH*...my money's on hate-hate..." Rin was winded by that combination attack- BAM! "UGH!" Lincoln landed on top of her, "Uh-oh spaghetti-"

"SHUT UP!" Lincoln began pounding her into putty, "YOU AND YOUR BAD LUCK CRAP! YOU WILL NEVER CHANGE! YOU OR YOUR BROODING HORDE OF SISTERS!" And that was all the crowd saw for a full minute...just Lincoln ranting about everything he wanted to say to his family but couldn't, out of love...while pounding away at the lookalike pain of his existence. Strong Suit couldn't do anything because she would be severely punished for interrupting, so she dissipated her barbell and sat down to watch. Cecilia and Kim were just shocked. No expression, just shock, to think that an 11 year old boy would be capable of this kind of brutal fight back.

And Houki's expression was of pure horror; she blabbed to the outside world of Squirrel Boy's current whereabouts. Imagine what he would've done to her.

But everyone heard his two cents on the bad luck and the costume. He had no reason to hold back his true feelings since the incident was now made public.

"Well, if they don't get it now, they are idiots..." Rin murmured while controlling her onset of dizziness, "Now, before I throw up..." She fired her cannons at him, point blank, pushing him across the entire arena floor.

SAVVY SUITE — SHIELD 29/137%

SHENLONG — SHIELD 37/110%

Lincoln skid to a stop and steadied himself. Rin shook her head and stopped the world from spinning.

"Ok...that was some mental crap..." Rin said as she checked the faces of the crowd in the stands. All the people she saw acted like they had just witnessed a brutality. "Now, where was I..."

Lincoln kept his murderous gaze. The entire day, he had done nothing but dwell on the past, and now it's time to stand it down once and for all.

"What's the matter, Stinkoln?!" Rin taunted, "Got nothing left?!"

"Whew... I'll show you what I got," Lincoln said, "I'll show you all what I got!"

'Oh, dear... I'm gonna need more help than I thought,' Rin thought before saying, "Aw, are you gonna year up because you're only slightly ahead of me?"

"I am done being your personal punching bag," Lincoln said, "It's time I did now what I did when you lot were going ape all over each other!" He gathered a full deck to his hands once more.

"And what in the world would that be?" Rin detached her scimitars and prepped herself for a 2-on-1.

"I hope I can get all of this on camera," Strong Suit dusted herself off and materialized several 45lb free weights.

STRONG SUIT — SHIELD 9/15%

_("...if you just butted out, we'd resolve it on our own.")_

"TO BUTT OUT AND LET YOU RESOLVE THIS ON YOUR OWN!" Lincoln and Strong Suit charged Rin's position, projectiles flying out of their hands.

Rin managed to knock every single card and weight away from her. When Lincoln was close to punching her, she hooked her scimitar onto his wing units and leaped over him, giving her a clear shot at him and his sidekick. The two were blasted by her cannons, but she wasted no time in ramming herself in his backside. Lincoln tried to wrest Rin away from him, but she just kept getting under his hit box and pelting him with her scimitar. He eventually caught her hands and locked her down, but she was already set to blast her cannons at him.

But Strong Suit hammered down hard on Rin at the last moment, causing Rin to misfire, "Ace! Now!"

SAVVY SUITE — SHIELD 15/137% (WARNING)

STRONG SUIT — SHIELD 2/15% (CRITICAL)

Lincoln kicked Rin upward, and Strong Suit punched her down. He stopped Rin's fall with several cards, giving Strong Suit enough time to re-materialize her barbell and lunge at Rin. They were about to land another combination attack-

"Done!" -but Rin stopped them both with just her scimitars, "Therapy session's over!" She backed away and blasted her cannons at Strong Suit, who disappeared after two shots hit.

SHENLONG — SHIELD 25/110%

STRONG SUIT — SHIELD 0 (EMPTY)

Rin then engaged Lincoln in a hand-to-hand brawl. Lincoln was too busy trying his darndest to score any hit he possibly could get, but he was outmatched. She whittled away at his strikes until he missed his timing on a block, then fired two more shots at him before going in for a tetra-slash combo and ending the fight with one more shot. He fell to the ground on his stomach.

SHENLONG — SHIELD 21/110%

SAVVY SUITE — SHIELD 0 (EMPTY)

The buzzer sounded, and the announcement was made, "THE MATCH IS CONCLUDED. THE WINNER IS LINGYIN HUANG."

Absolutely no one in the stands moved. They all wondered what could have been done to bring such a ferocious fight out of a seemingly docile young boy. But very few have been able to make the connection to what he said and what just happened.

Lincoln was exhausted. He was dragging his hands and feet off the ground. But he still had energy to talk, "Forgiving you was a mistake... I shouldn't have done that...I should have made you work for it long ago..."

Rin clacked her blades together, "Again. Not Lynn."

"What?!" Lincoln looked up and wiped the tears from his eyes.

And then he realized what he had been doing. Or, rather, what she made him do. He had been lashing out at Rin, getting his darkest thoughts out in the open. For all to see. Something he never considered doing, for good reason. Because now, they at least know how much those photos hurt. It hurt him to the point of crying. Crying...a man crying in front of girls...

_("Seriously, dude. You need to toughen up if you're gonna survive the outside world.")_

"Yo! Lincoln!"

"Huh?" Lincoln went back to the world in front of him and saw an outstretched hand.

"You feeling any better?" Rin had offered to help him up.

He stared at the hand for a moment, then turned to her gaze. Green eyes, just as open and curious as hers.

He couldn't take it anymore and flung himself into the pit.

While Rin was standing there with a look of slight confusion, Cecilia, Kim, and Houki's expressions were varying degrees of shock.

"I think I'll consult with Rin," Kim excused herself, and others, "Ok, the fight is done! There will be no more words! Please leave in an orderly fashion!"

Cecilia nudged Houki, "Come on. I'm sure Ichika will be back in a couple hours." Houki didn't seem to hear her. "Uh, hello! Shinonono!"

"Guh! What?! What did you say?"

"Oh my goodness..." Cecilia dragged Houki out, "Let's get back to the dorms before we're called to answer for your blurt."

After his IS was repaired, Lincoln retreated to the locker room. "Ohhh, my head...what a mental trip..." He tried to massage his head, but he kept going back to those moments in his life when he or any of his sisters acted in their own selfish interests, "What am I gonna do?... I have a better chance of losing Bun-bun's head than finding the ends of existence..."

"And why's the end of everything so important to you?"

"Uh!"

Rin sat down beside him.

"*SIGH* Ok, I'll bite," Lincoln said, "What's the punchline?"

"There's no punchline. Just a good old-fashioned fight, is all."

"But why?" Lincoln pestered, "You say it's just a fight, but why'd you have to go and dress up like...like Lynn?..."

"Well..." Rin scratched her cheek, "Ichika spilled the beans last night, and...it his close to home for me. Like..." paper-thin gap between her finger and thumb "...this close."

"Really? How so..."

Rin sipped her sports drink, "From my house. Actually, my family used to have one right here before I moved back to China. A little more than a year ago...Actually, that's when the divorce happened, but the trigger for it came to full fruition last May..."

_("I cannot believe you would consider our only daughter a bad omen!")_

_("Have you not once considered why our restaurant is losing customers?! It's because of Linygin!")_

_("She's been luring in customers since you wasted away your time at a nail salon! I told you it was a bad idea!")_

_("I wouldn't have to have done that if she hadn't caused us to vacate our homeland!")_

_("Moving here is a blessing! We had support! You of all people know this!")_

_("I cannot believe you would disregard me, your own wife! I cannot believe you would side with the black cat of my ladder!")_

_("There was a time when you cared more about your family than our money...Yue.")_

"And that was the straw that flattened the camel," Rin said, "They never forgave each other and declared it over the next week. The first week of my last year of junior high...the divorce was finalized. I didn't move back until another month later."

"Did they ever try to talk to each other again?" Lincoln asked.

"Nope," Rin responded, "In fact, we avoid the places where my mother went."

"Did you say anything?"

"No...I just accepted it and went about my life. It didn't feel like anything changed because I spent most of my time with dad and Ichika from the start."

"Holy...what would happen if I never said...the beloved?..."

"Oh...oh my word. That would be even worse. You have to contend with ten sisters and two overworked parents. And no doubt that they'll want much more than a piece of you."

Lincoln thought about it, "I know I don't want that, but...Maybe that's for the best."

Rin looked at him like he had gone crazy, "Uh, Maybe don't go that far yet..."

"You're right. I'll just let it blow over. It's not like anything would happen that'll set off a massive chain of unwanted crap, right?"

Just then, Akina popped her head over a the lockers, "I wouldn't count on it."

"AAAAA!" Lincoln and Rin yelped and toppled over, "Guh...hhh...WAAT IS GOING ON!"

"Merhaps you want to see for thyselves?"

Lincoln and Rin shared squinted eyes, not knowing what Akina was talking about...

...until the trio went outside. The student body was actively avoiding them on their way to the dorms.

"What's everyone giving us that look for?..." Akina asked.

"Have you seen the way he went down on me?" Rin quipped.

"No, and I rather not go there ever!"

"Was I really that vicious?..." Lincoln whispered.

"You were going on about how you were a slave to your sisters," Rin said, "and how you had to take that extra step out of their line to even be remotely noticed."

"Ok, that's not like me at all!" Lincoln denied it.

"I, as well as a hundred or so people, heard it," Akina said, "The words have been laid out in front of us."

"Yeesh...What is this time doing to my head?..." Lincoln sighed.

"Doing what you should've been doing long before you got here," Akina mused, "Letting everyone know exactly how you feel."

"I thought I did that the week before I left home."

"Did he?" Rin asked Akina.

Akina moved them past the crowd who had seen the fight and brushed them to the door of 1025, where several students who had not yet seen the fight blindsided them.

"Hehey, There's my hyperactive little squirrel!"

"God-" Lincoln was trapped in a headlock, "Uh, good to see you too..."

"So, how did you do against a Representative Contender?!"

"Was the fight exciting?! Heart-pounding?! All kinds of bob-and-weaving since you two are CQC?!"

"Hey, Fan!" Another student mugged her, "How was the fight? He didn't do too bad, I hope?"

"Uh, no! Not at all!" Rin shook her hands, "He actually packed quite a punch!"

Two more girls ground up on Akina:

"So, is it true?! He really went all out against Rin?!"

"I bet he was a vicious tanuki with his cards and-"

"Ok, you need to get out more!" Akina pushed them away, "Starting now!"

"Come on! Tell us!"

"Did it have anything related to that post? Oh, stupid question!"

"GUYS!" Lincoln screamed, and everyone froze and looked, "I get it. You wanna know the full story. But now just isn't the time. I'll tell you tomorrow-"

A few students, including Kaoruko, got gleefully excited-

"BUT ONLY!" Lincoln called everyone to attention again, "But only if you promise me...no rumors about me or my family whatsoever."

"We have to wait until tomorrow?!" A student groaned, "That's gonna suck!"

"Can't we get any details now?!"

"I'll keep quiet! I promise!"

"You spin me right round, baby, right round," Lincoln muttered to himself while backing up just enough to open the door and slam himself inside.

Rin knew that they would get antsy again, so she blurted out a scathingly glossed-over detail to ward off the other girls, "Besides, tomorrow's Ichika's birthday! He and Lincoln are friends! I'm sure you can wait till tomorrow to-"

The students who saw the fight snuck back into their rooms, while the students who didn't see the fight lost it:

"Really?!"

"On Orimura's birthday?! EEEEEEEEE!"

"Can we see him in that little squirrel costume again?!"

"Not if you say 'little squirrel'!" Rin snapped.

"So, which boy do you fancy more?"

Rin could not believe what she heard, "Haaaaaaaagh!"

Lincoln heard everything from the shower room, "What alternate dimension have I stumbled upon now?..."

He used the rest of the day to bury himself in his homework, in a vain effort to distance himself from the fight. He managed to bury his head in the material, but he was constantly reminded of how Lisa would walk him through various questions about school, science, and, on occasion, life in general.

He kept at it until nightfall. Then he closed his spiral and collapsed underneath the desk, "It's over! It's finally over!" And then, his laptop signaled an incoming call- BANG! "Ow! D'oh, come on!" He slithered back onto the chair and accepted the call.

"Greetings, male sibling prime."

Why did it have to be the homework?... "Uh...hi, Lis."

"You ok, dude?"

"Clyde?!" Lincoln brightened up, "Oh man...you will not believe the day I just had!"

And then he went on to explain everything that occurred from his last call to now.

Surprisingly, Lisa has expected that, "Well, I have been conducting a study on confrontational therapy, but it seems I can use you as a control."

"I dunno who had it worse, you or me," Clyde said.

"What?" Lincoln resisted the urge to smirk.

"Lori finally approached me and...after our first, and last, real date, she told me that even if we went steady, things just wouldn't work out between us, what with my nigh-obsession," Clyde quivered, "so, we talked it over, and...long story short, I have come to accept Bobby as her boyfriend."

Lisa patted her shoulder.

"Wow..." Lincoln gasped, "That's...awfully mature of you."

"Thanks," Clyde said, "And I'm still friends with Lori. I told her that if Bobby doesn't treat her right, I'll do what she taught me and-" punch the air "-HAVE A NICE TALK WITH HIM."

"Boy, Rin would be perfect for you," Lincoln mindlessly blurted out.

"Lynn? Uuuuh, I'm not sure..."

"Wait, What?"

"You had it way better, male sibling honorary," Lisa said.

"What gives, Clyde?" Lincoln asked, "Why aren't you sure about R-uh...Lynn?..."

Clyde and Lisa exchanged glances before they redirected his screen to a recording taken from Lynn's POV, "Just look."

["You better fess up, otherwise I'm gonna see you bleeding in a sink!"]

["We don't know nothing about that Squirrel Boy! Get off me!"]

["You're lying! Hank and Hawk came by and ransacked my practice today!"]

["Serves you right, mudhead! Why don't you just admit you got a thing thing for him?!"]

["What was that?"]

["Man, your family is all kinds of messed up! You're a hard-ass, you sister is stupid, your four eyes is a freak! And your lesbo queef is a glutton for-"]

["Lynn, no-"]

["AAAAAAAAAAA!"]

It was a surveillance video of Luna and Lynn interrogating...and beating the ever living daylights out of Jason and Juniper.

"Do I need to ask..." Lincoln braced himself for the worst.

"I'll just tell you the short version," Clyde gritted his teeth, "HAZELTUCKEY AND ROYAL WOODS ARE AT WAR! IT IS TOTAL CHAOS, MAN!"

"Uh...how?"

"Let me explain," Lisa said, "Approximately 1200 hours EDT, Luna and Lynn sent out a post of them faking a meeting with you behind the French-Mex disaster restaurant. Two hours later, Jason and Juniper aimed to ambush you, but they fell into Luna's trap, at which point it was revealed that they now have every scathing detail about everyone in our household."

"Scathing? As in..."

Clyde plugged his ears and said, "As in, "Lucy's secret fascination with Princess Pony" scathing."

"What?! HOW?!" Lincoln freaked out, "That was supposed to be a secret! WHO BLABBED?!"

"Dude?" Ichika suddenly came in, "I heard you across the hall. Did something happen?"

"Uh-Uh, not that big of a-" Lincoln was interrupted by another photo.

"It gets worse," Clyde said, "During today's pageant, Lola was challenged with a question about the photo, and she accidentally gloated about stuffing you in the costume...earning her dead last, and an investigation."

"A-huh?!" Lincoln jolted.

"Into a 6-year old?..." Ichika winced.

"SINCE WHEN?!"

"Since...this," She then cut to a video taken a few hours ago,

["That stupid albino ash head had it coming! He was just a scrawny little punk who had nothing better to do than hide behind his loser sisters! Well, hide he did, and look at our young'uns!"]

["You are weak! You should have stayed weak, but then you had to go and get strong with your 'IS' crud!"]

["You ain't never gonna be better than us! And me and my boys from Hazeltuckey are gonna prove it! Squirrel Boy!"]

["See if your good luck can help you now."]

"Oh my..." Lincoln slumped over.

"... What about her grades?" Ichika asked.

"I'm helping her with that," Clyde said, "Only fitting since she now has to work three times as hard to regain everyone's trust...at least she has a chance."

"At least?" Ichika sounded suspicious, "Well, what about the rest of his family?"

"Lucy's been outcasted from her friends and group, Luna's taking a break from the band to focus on...this, Lola has been suspended from the current pageant season, and Lori and Leni had to work together to bring this kerfuffle under control."

"And Hank and Hawk?!" Lincoln gripped Ichika's hand extra tightly.

"Ow, Ow, Hey, Lincoln, Ow."

"They once vowed that they would make every elementary schooler remember their name," Lisa groaned, "but since the interrogation, they vowed absolute domination."

"What is happening?..." Lincoln looked at Ichika, "Did you ever have to deal with something like this?!"

"Not at this ridiculous speed," Ichika responded, "Everything is happening too fast. I'm surprised no one's caved under the pressure yet."

"What do we do now?!"

"Long term, we don't know," Clyde said, "I don't know who doesn't know about this nutty turf war going on. It's like the world is actively trying to spit in our faces, but it keeps missing!"

"Why didn't you tell me about it sooner?!"

"We did. We tried calling, leaving emails and messages, but you were just gone!"

"This is why I set up the condition of constant communication," Lisa groaned.

"Ok, I'll see if we can do any damage control," Ichika butted in, "Everyone here is female, but maybe we can appeal to their fears a little to shut down the Squirrel Boy nonsense."

Lisa nodded, "Fair enough. Clyde and I will continue to assist Lynn, since we don't know what kind of punishment she will incur."

"Wait!" Lincoln stopped them, "What about mom and dad?"

"They're with my dads," Clyde said, "They'll get through this."

"Thank you for rendering their discretion null and void," Lisa growled.

"What?" Clyde shrugged, "We have certain thoughts when we're kept in the dark."

"Oh no. Mom and dad crumbled, didn't they?" Lincoln groaned.

"No, they didn't!" Clyde reassured, "They are still holding on to our full support!"

"We still have the situation under control," Lisa said, "But right now, we need you to be a capable Representative Contender. You absolutely cannot falter under any circumstances."

And then Lisa and Clyde shut off communication, as if they were in a rush to finish something behind his back.

"What is happening?..." Lincoln sunk beneath the chair and wrapped himself in the blanket.

"Is that what the blanket fort was for?" Ichika kicked a pillow off the floor, "Man, there's way too much for us to process..."

"Can this get any worse?..."

It did, for out of nowhere, Maya bounced into the door that a certain someone forgot to close, "Surprise! It's moving day!"

"Huh?!" Lincoln popped up still wearing the blanket.

"AAAAA!" Maya screamed, "A GHOST!"

"Miss Yamada, please!" Ichika rushed to calm her down, "It's just Loud."

"I know it's too loud, but I couldn't help it..." Maya gasped.

"Actually...it's me," Lincoln revealed himself.

"Oh... well..." Maya cleared her throat.

"What about moving day?" Ichika brought her back on topic.

"Oh, yes!" Maya clapped her hands, "Lincoln will be changing rooms effective immediately."

"Huh?!" Ichika stuttered, "As in...now?..."

"Oh, I think that would be for the best," Maya said, "It must be difficult for you to keep the noise down, and we have been getting some complaints about roughhousing and unusual clatter."

"Are you hearing this?..." Lincoln tugged Ichika's shirt.

"Yeah..." Ichika responded, "Can we get some time before we move?"

"Oh, that's a great idea!" Maya... "We can go to his new room together!" ...misheard that.

On his way to his new room, he received numerous glances, some still in awe, but many concerned.

"What are they staring at us for?" Ichika wondered.

"Perhaps it's because of how the battle played out," Maya mused, "You should've seen how Lincoln unleashed all his passion against Fan earlier. Such a vicious display of power..."

Lincoln absorbed their words inside out, "Pretty soon, I'm gonna have to answer to that, too."

"Did something happen between you and Rin?" Ichika asked.

"Well...something like that..."

"Here we are!" Maya stopped them, "Room 1001!" She opened up the door into the room, and it wasn't different from the other rooms, except there's only one bed.

"Uh...Thanks, I think?..."

"Will you be ok on your own for a day?" Ichika asked.

Lincoln took the opportunity to relive some tension, "I should ask you, sod-for-brains!"

"Hey, you don't have to worry about me," Ichika chuckled and gave a thumb up, "I'm sure I can get up on time and brush my teeth, even without you help."

"Oh, we'll see how long that confidence lasts," Lincoln smirked.

"Alright," Ichika yawned, "I guess I'll turn in for the night...we can sort out the mess another time." And then he was away.

"*SIGH...* Doubt it'll stay just a mess..." Lincoln noticed that Maya had unpacked his bag, "Um, Miss Yamada? Why do you have my bag?"

"Oh, because this is actually my room!"

"**OWNRNFKVHAVQG**?!"

"It's a request from Miss Orimura, since she did oversee the fight between you and Rin. Plus, it wouldn't do any good to leave an 11-year old by himself, now would it?"

"..."


	14. Lynner Won't Recall (Part 2)

Around the same time Lincoln changed rooms, Lynn was awoken with a heavy sweat. All due to an unsettling dream she had earlier that repeated throughout the entire night...

She was standing on a blackened field, paralyzed, blinded, and unable to even make guttural sounds. She could only stand there and listen as two people slugged each other. It was a good five minutes before someone connected a hook to the other person's face. That person was knocked down, as the other took a few steps forward and kicked the person's head down, giving off an all-too-familiar-sounding grunt. Lynn panicked and tried to break free, but she was halted by a distorted female voice...

"Woo, Yeah! Potshot to the _face_! Who's your mama?! Can't nobody touch this!" It taunted.

"Hah...hahahah...hahaaaaahahahaha..." but Lincoln's voice, she heard very clearly.

The woman stopped when he chuckled, "Oh, finally. What's your point?"

"You know something, [~~~]?" Lincoln said, "I always wondered why everything you do always had intense emotion...Why do you have the absolute best and worst moments?...I never questioned it because you're my sister..."

"Guh..."

"But after that crap display of power, which I never told anyone about...I have to question it. What is the matter with you? Why do you care about your show of force so much that you would go out of your way to make me submit?"

"Maybe it's because I'm just that good of a fighter, albino!"

Lincoln sighed and growled at the woman, "That moment when I said I forgive you...it was at an impulse. I thought it'd be much easier to just let go."

"And in we go." The woman quipped while being tackled to the ground. "Uh-oh, Spaghetti-O's-"

"SHUT UP!" Lincoln began pounding her into putty, "YOU AND YOUR BAD LUCK CRAP! YOU WILL NEVER CHANGE! YOU OR YOUR BROODING HORDE OF SISTERS!"

"They're your sisters too, blockhead!"

"THEY'RE MY FRAUD! THEY RAIL ON ME WHENEVER I ASK FOR EVEN THE LITTLEST THING!"

"That's what they're supposed to do! What year do you think you're living in?!"

"THE YEAR OF THE SORE LOSER! EVERY SINGLE TIME I MAKE A MISTAKE, YOU GUYS POUND ON ME LIKE I'M PUBLIC ENEMY NUMBER ONE! BUT EVERY TIME ONE OF YOU BIMBOS MAKES A MISTAKE, IT'S ALL SOOTHING MASSAGES AND HALLMARK GIFT CARDS! WHAT GIVES?!"

"Because, for one thing..." when she was punched again, she spat in his eye.

"AGH!" Lincoln flinched before feeling a sharp impact.

"...you are a super wimp."

Lynn heard Lincoln fly off and hit the dirt hard.

The woman continued her rant while he was struggling to stand up properly, "And for another thing...you are a wimp on purpose. Tell me, why do you think you are what you are? Because we made you that way."

"Wha?..."

"Oh, and that bad luck crud? We knew it was a joke, but hey. More for us, am I right?"

Lynn wanted to punch as much as Lincoln did. She wanted to smack her other half for devaluing her brother, and for turning her superstitions into a cruel fakeout, but she couldn't wriggle free from her invisible constraints. All she could do was hope that Lincoln could get the upper hand somehow.

"What's the matter, Stinkoln?! Got nothing left?!" But that didn't seem likely.

"I'll show you...I'll show all of you!"

"Aw, are you gonna tear up because you're only slightly ahead of me?"

"I am done being your personal punching bag. It's time I did now what I did when you lot were going ape all over each other!"

Red alert. Lynn heard what Lincoln had to say about Why Blank Is The Worst Sister Ever, and how he was going to singlehandedly destroy the house for good before taking his leave.

"And what in the world would that be?"

Lynn put all her energy into one final attempt to move a single body part.

"TO BUTT OUT AND LET YOU RESOLVE THIS ON YOUR OWN!"

She strained her mind and focused, ignoring all the bashing noises that overwhelmed her ears. She was able to move her hands when she heard someone go down for the count.

"And what is your response now?"

Lynn freaked out even more and flailed her hands, around the same time that she heard Lincoln groaning in pain,

"I made a horrible mistake... I should have ran away when I had the chance..."

"Wouldn't do you any good," The woman taunted, "Lisa put a chip inside you. You won't get far."

That was the last straw. To Lynn, that line spoke of betrayal within the family. She gripped her fists and got angry. She was able to move her arms and her head, and she was able to get a full view of Lincoln being held by the collar.

"I got just the thing for an unruly dyke like you."

Seeing the mysterious woman preparing to finish him allowed Lynn to finally break herself out of her invisible prison and lunge at her, "GET YOUR HANDS OFF HIM, YOU BITCH!"

Except it wasn't a mysterious woman. It was her. The moment she kicked the woman's head, she finally saw who it really was: a replica of her darker side.

She stepped back, "Wha... what is this...I'm not..."

"Oh, get real, freckles."

"What the-"

The other Lynn muffled through the dirt, "You know it's true... and you can't stand that he's getting the spotlight more than you..."

"I never get jealous of him! I never-"

"He's a Representative Contender now...he's captivating himself in all that glorious limelight. He doesn't deserve it," the other Lynn picked her head up and grinned at her, "The only thing he's good for is a mop."

"..shut up."

_("Clyde, get help! Get everyone here!")_

"He's not worth the hair on his neck. He's a charm...nothing more."

"Shut up."

_("What are you...are you crazy?! You'll get hurt!")_

"Don't deny it. He's only man-candy. He's only good for service."

"Shut up!"

_("And if I don't, she'll get killed!")_

"If only you hadn't locked him out...then, you'd never have to worry about losing your only lightning rod. Oh, wait...you already have a replacement."

"**SHUT UUUUUUUUUP!**" Lynn lost it and flung herself at her downed clone. At least, it looked like it...until the punch connected to someone else.

"OUGH-" it was a smaller Lincoln.

"Ah-no-not-it-" Lynn just punched a younger Lincoln. She was overwhelmed with so many negative thoughts that-

"Look! That mascot is pummeling them!"

"That's Just sad..."

"Way to stuff their insides, man!"

-she was suddenly in that squirrel costume.

And then-

"AAAAA!" She woke up, "Oh my... Well...hhh..." She yanked her lucky sweaters to her body. She did not know what to make of that dream at all. She has had weird dreams like this ever since Lincoln left, growing worse as each day passed. "Ugh...I need to do some calisthenics..."

"No you don't."

"WOOOHAHAHAHA-" SLAM! "Owwww..." Lucy's voice spooked Lynn off the bed and onto the carpet.

"You need to move back to your own bed," Lucy said, "It's clear that Lincoln's room has taken a toll on you."

"You said I should move here because of the dreams..."

Then, they both heard Lisa's vice from downstairs, "We still have the situation under control. But right now, we need you to be a capable Representative Contender. You absolutely cannot falter under any circumstances."

"Lisa?!" Lynn turned to the alarm clock, "At this early in the morning?..."

"Mom said she had an appointment at 8:30, didn't she?"

Lynn blinked, then rushed downstairs to try and get a glimpse of Lisa's chat. Only to reach the living room right after it ended, "Hey, is he still... in the..."

"'Fraid not," Clyde said, "We're in a crisis all our own now."

"Indeed, this was supposed to be an interrogation," Lisa reminded, "Instead, this has escalated into a turf war."

"Sorry," Lynn scratched her neck, "I just...I just saw the picture and I-"

"We know," Clyde went to her, "and Lincoln is handling it as best as he can."

"Can't we help him in any way? Aside from wasting our allowance on every minute talking to him?"

"I'm continually sending him diagnostic reports on his IS, and study guides to help him in his education," Lisa said, "but apart from that... it all has to be indirect."

"Great..." Lynn groaned.

"That's so weird, though," Clyde mumbled while running through his to-do list, "I honestly thought it was done and over with months ago."

"You seem to have forgotten that we attract a rather strong crowd wherever our antics threaten to bloat out of proportion," Lisa pointed out, "It's in the name."

"*SIGH...* I'm gonna ball for a bit," Lynn murmured.

Lynn spent the morning by herself, playing around with as many soccer ball tricks as she could to ease her mind. She mentally went through the whirlwind insanity that was just the first four weeks of school. She thought she could spread the word about what a good pilot Lincoln was, but her classmates always brought up his discovery of the IS touch. How did he get it? Where did he go to find an IS? She fabricated a story about a family camping trip, with him getting lost in the woods and stumbling into an IS. That story only worked for some peering eyes. For many, many more, they connected the squirrel beach incident with the discovery, saying that the family had done something horrible that caused him to flee the house and run to the IS for support.

Lynn was quick to shift the blame away from herself. She changed the story so many times that she got dizzy the last time someone asked about Lincoln. Her coaches weren't very helpful in controlling the story; every time someone asked about Lynn and how she was related to her brother's special abilities, they would bring her in and describe how she taught him everything he knows about "kicking major mechanical keister" for five minutes straight. Not even some of her own friends would ease up on the IS talk, so she frequently confided in Clyde and Margo to take the conversations out of IS territory and into normal life, but that wasn't as effective as she wanted. The only thing that could calm her nerves, strangely, was sending out an email to Lincoln every day. She didn't care if he responded; she just wanted to give him her two cents. She thought it would keep her uncertain feelings at bay...but then the pictures happened.

"Gimme a-" extra hard kick "-BREAK!" Lynn bounced the ball into a wall and across the street, "*GASP*"

and into Margo's hands, "Easy on the gas, Lynn-sanity! No goalkeepers here!"

Lynn momentarily tensed up, "Oh...what are you doing here?"

"Thought I'd come by to visit," Margo tossed the ball to Lynn, "There's this video that's spreading like an un-victory parade."

"How bad is it?..." Lynn asked. Her beat friend ran to her with a video of- "Uhhhhhh... I wish it was that other video..." -a "punk kid" bragging about how Royal Woods was better than Hazeltuckey, "How do a thousand people already like this?!"

"I guess they had the same thought?" Margo said.

"What Thought?..."

"That it was someone from Hazeltuckey?"

Suddenly, they heard Clyde and Lisa scream "BATTLE STATIOOOOOOOOOONS!" The house was rocking with a mighty ruckus.

Even Lola was goaded into cutting her beauty sleep short by a half hour, "WHERE ARE THEY?! LET ME AT 'EM!"

But not Lori, "CAN YOU PLEASE KEEP IT DOWN?! YOU'RE RUINING MY HAIR!"

It took all of ten seconds before the Clyde and Loud siblings (sans Lori and Leni) blasted the back door off and jumped out into the yard. All of a second to confront Lynn and Margo.

"Who is this sentient little Hazel_jerk_ey?" Luan hissed.

"I can't see-" Clyde struggled to squeeze through the crowd.

"Me thinks she be a treacherous snake bound to steal more secrets!" Lana said through her pirate getup.

"Ok, uncalled-" Clyde poked his head out and saw who had come on their territory, "No! Everyone, stand down! She's not hostile!"

"What?!" Luna eyed him, "How do you know?"

"She's my best friend?" Lynn said, "The woman who had my back in every sport?"

"Ohhhhhh..." the siblings recognized Margo.

"Really?" Lynn groaned, "That long?..."

"She's from Hazeltuckey!" Lola growled, "We can't trust anyone from that dreadful place!"

"I thought Winston was from Hazeltuckey-" Luna was cut off-

"HE'S DIFFERENT!"

After that...eventful test of their emergency services, they all walked back inside. Lynn, Clyde, and Margo spent the morning talking about their yesterday and how much that one post basically upended the world around them.

"And that's the gist of it," Lynn was munching on a PBJ sandwich, "The dreams haven't stopped egging on me since school started."

"Yikes..." Margo slumped, "and _no one_ knows the full story?..."

"Not yet. And knowing Lola's tattle tale tail, I'll give it till tomorrow morning before I get batted for it."

"Well, I think I know why you lashed out at JandJ," Clyde said, "You haven't gotten over your own mind yet."

Lynn and Margo let out a well-deserved "Huh?"

"Ok, I guess I should explain. Dr. Lopez said it best," Clyde took out a piece of cake, "So, here's a visual representation of your inner thoughts. This is the frosting, a thin layer of sweetness an wonderful things. Beneath it is a bunch of layers of fluff that may be edible, but not at all appealing...what? What's so funny?"

Lynn and Margo were all giggles, thanks to Luan whispering in their ears while Clyde virtually drowned in his ideal metaphor.

And Clyde was nonplussed, "I'm gonna guess that I went into uncharted territory..."

"Get to the point, peanut," Luan snickered, "before we ruin the mood..."

"O...k..." Clyde brushed it off, "See, what we've been doing is...this sweet thin layer is our outward thoughts and feelings, the stuff we want to say to make them feel good, and therefore make us feel good. But down here..." he scraped off the frosting and showed the other three layers of cake, "...is the true conscious, the feelings we've been hiding. Down here's what we truly feel."

"So, what you're say is that I'm a giant twisted knot of angst?..." Lynn raised an eyebrow.

"If that's the term you wanna use...but what I'm saying is..." Clyde stowed his cake slice away before Margo or Luan could snack it off, "I suspect you told Lincoln _("I'm not gonna stop apologizing, you hear?")_ just to make him and yourself feel good, when I'm actuality there's a very big layer of your real thoughts and feelings hidden underneath that thin layer of apology."

"Are you calling me a faker?"

"Um...overachiever? More like?"

"The heck does that mean?!"

"Well, Lucy told me you're in Lincoln's room now."

"What?" Luan stopped him, "Say that again?..."

"He said nothing!" Lynn covered Clyde's mouth, "Just Lucy rambling on about her novel again!"

"Really?" Luan eyed Lynn, "Is it really nothing?"

"What's it to you?" Lynn confronted her, "Why's your nose in my crud, all of a sudden?"

Clyde made a muffled babbling noise, which Luan was able to translate.

"Whoa-ly mackerel!" Luan exclaimed, "Are you sure that cake is just three layers?"

"God dangit..." Lynn let go.

"What is going on, Lynn?" Margo asked her.

"Oh, boy..." Lynn was in for it now.

Meanwhile, back in Japan, Lincoln was having an eerily similar discussion with Maya.

"Oh yeah, I'm in for it," he smirked, "There's something so long and drawn out inside that I might confuse Rin for Lynn. Again." Then, he thought about the forthcoming mental conversation, "But what am I supposed to do? I can't just take it all back lickety-split."

"Not saying to take it back," Maya said, "Just saying what you really feel. All that bad luck crud is the cherry on top, but there has to be more than that."

"Um...well, ok," Lincoln had to agree with them. He hadn't found any hints that could point him toward the ends of existence. But if this was the proper first step to a properly incredibly long journey...he doesn't have a choice. "Ok, what do I have to do?"

"Let's start with a simple talk out," Maya suggested, "Whatever you don't have the courage to say in front of your sisters, you can say it here. But sooner or later, they'll get on your case about it, so you could try to talk to the person you're conflicted with in private."

"Is that really that important?" Lincoln cringed, "I mean, this is gonna get out of hand..."

Back home, Lynn, Margo, and Clyde moved to Lincoln's room, and Lynn had just been given the same advice. And a cellphone.

"How's talking to Whitehead's face gonna help my case in any way?" Lynn cringed, "It's just gonna leave...you know."

"We're all alone in a closet," Clyde said, "I don't see the problem."

"Do you not feel the paper thin walls?!"

"Lynn, relax," Margo massaged her shoulders, "All you have to do is close your eyes and say what you wanna say."

"There are so many things wrong with that..." Lynn said.

"Come on, it's not hard at all," Clyde fully swayed her into the session, "What have you got to lose, Lyn...da?"

Lynn twitched upon hearing that name, "Ok, fine! Just...where's the thing..." She saw Clyde point to her hand, "Oh...duh." She chuckled before she closed her eyes and focused on the hidden thoughts deep within herself.

Back in Japan, Lincoln received a similar prescription

"Uh...do I really have to do this?..." Lincoln could tell that this was about to take a detour into a bottomless...thing, "Can we both agree that this is gonna get weird, in every sense of the word?"

"Just give it a try," Maya urged, "What do you have to lose? Besides a few drops of sweat?"

"You're not gonna hold it against me, are you?" Lincoln asked Rin.

"Only if you can score high marks on the next test," Maya joked.

"Yes you are..." Lincoln gave up and went with it. He had himself a few good breaths before he closed his eyes and focused on the hidden thoughts deep within himself.

And then, they pressed the button at the same time and initiated the call.

——————————

"Bro?"

"Been a while."

And now, it was just Lincoln and Lynn in the black empty digital void.

Lynn was conflicted. It was a relief seeing her brother again, but the last time they were together, they had unresolved feelings. She sought to find out both their minds in this moment, if only to confirm that their vows before they parted weren't sincere, "So, What's on your mind?..."

"A lot," Lincoln looked down.

Lynn sighed, "You look like you got a crap ton to say. Why don't you just let it all out right now?"

"You first," Lincoln hissed.

"Whoa, where'd that come from? 'You firsssssssssssssssst'?"

"What? You don't have a crap ton to say?"

And from that line, Lynn already knew where this conversation was going, "I can eat my own words on my own time, dude. And that academy did a number on your manners."

"Manners?" Lincoln eyed her, "Like yours?"

"Wha... what'd you say you mean?!"

"I mean, riddle me this," Lincoln declared battle on, "Why did you threaten me with the bat? Of all the underhanded tactics you could have used, Why the bat?"

"Well, I wanted to-well, it...I..." Lynn could not come up with a viable answer, so she kept coming back to that one excuse, "You never come to any of my games. You could squeeze yourself into those other pageants and shows and everything else thanks to Lisa's schedule voodoo magic thing. But you never bothered to show up at my thing. Ever!"

"Is that your excuse for nearly clocking me upside the spine?!" Lincoln snapped, "Is that why you declared me bad luck after I went to one game?! Is this all just for a little payback?!"

"What gave you that idea?!" Lynn snapped too, "You gave me the impression that this was all part of some convoluted Zeno-Psycho Bad cycle!"

"Not what I'd call fond memories, considering what you get up to behind my back."

"Are you just pulling this stuff outta your scrawny ass now?"

"Just thinking back to what we said before we separated, is all."

"Oh, what a coincidence. Me too."

Lincoln twitched, "About...how we didn't mean what we said?"

Lynn folded her arms, "Oh, _EYE_...meant what I said. I still haven't stopped. But, I'm not so sure about you."

"*SIGH...* same here," Lincoln sat down, "All this time, I've been searching for a place to drop it and let it be. But you keep butting in and shoving it back down my throat."

"So, you're wishing you could take it back...on account of me," Lynn scoffed, "What a pushover."

"Say that again."

Lynn quickly realized what she just said, "Aw, bad Lynn..."

"I think I know why you've been keeping me from full on forgiveness," Lincoln mused, "And it's not just you."

"Oh. Well, this oughta be rich."

"It is. I can't believe I didn't figure it out sooner," Lincoln smirked and shook his head, "We just can't stay consistent."

"What's that?"

"Every time-_every time_ we try to get something for ourselves, there's always another force ready to shove us back in line," Lincoln said, "And that force is always you girls."

"Uh...define 'you girls'?"

"Every time we try to do something really good for us...driving, silence, even a secret which I'm sure we're all gonna suffer from...something related to one of you sisters always finds a way to butt in and ruin it, making everyone have to bend over backwards and sometimes twist themselves out of shape just to make things right."

"Oh, come on," Lynn wagged her hand, "You're just exaggerating everything like we all do."

"Am I?"

"Well, that's...I mean, you-"

"I asked because I'm usually the one who has to do it. I'm the one who usually has to get bent out of shape because of some screw up, and I'm usually the one who has to make right with the world. By myself."

"By yourself?" Lynn took offense with that, "What about that time we fixed your project?"

"It broke because of your skates. Thanks for that, by the way."

"You let me in your room when Lucy and I were on edge."

"And look how well that turned out."

"Wuh?...Well, what about that study muffin? Mrs. DiMartino?"

"Could've done without you going pewey all over Hugh-ey, who by the way, told me he's banned himself from our block... and speaking of going pewey, what exactly have you done so far that warrants the kind of crap I have to put up with? You, or any of the other sisters? What did you guys do that brought any kind of retribution upon yourselves?"

Nothing. Granted, there were a few incidents that the other sisters have incited that needed attention, but not exactly swift remuneration. And most, if not all, of the incidents that did call for some degree of retribution were the cause of him. And the retribution came from the girls to him. It was all right there for Lynn to see.

"Ok, speedo," Lynn rubbed her eyes, "Just get to the point and say you didn't really forgive me. Us. Them. Whoever."

"You're not at all the least bit remorseful?" Lincoln said with slight irritation.

"No, not anymore," Lynn looked away, "Ever since I moved into your room, it's been buzzing around me like a bee on a pollen generator."

"You're in _my_ room?!"

"Yep. Thought I could get some peace there, since nobody around me could shut up the...you-know-what...but oh my GOD the stories that could spin off the bat of the bat. Remember that vacation we had planned? Well, it took a long while, but guess what the Jerry King asked us?"

_("Say...ain't your brother that boy in the costume? The Squirrel Boy?")_

Lincoln was hardened. To think that the incident reached far beyond the limits of the backwater small town. He knew rumors fly fast, but this was not what he thought would happen. He was supposed to say his true feelings, but he ended up fantasizing about what Royal Woods was now that the pictures have officially conquered the entire state of Michigan. Well, that's what he thought, seeing how outlandish that idea used to be.

He wanted no more part of this mess back home, so he had to aggravate her into distancing him from the family, "And let me guess...you took it in stride."

No, but a few sisters did. Lucy, Lola, Lana, and Luna managed to spin together a superhero origin story of the Savvy Suite. And that was all the crowd needed to set Lake Michigan ablaze with rumors. But Lynn couldn't bring herself to tell him that, so she kept quiet.

Forcing Lincoln to come to a conclusion without her. He assumed that she did and worked with her sisters to create a ludicrous story about him, "Just as I thought... I was raised to be a lightning rod."

"Why that notion now?"

"You didn't raise me like a brother. You raised me like a mop whose only job is to clean messes."

Lynn bit her lip. She was already exhausted from this pointless reaffirmation that she wanted to end this conversation right away. But she had to find out the answer to the question he dodged, "What, you didn't like the good times we shared?"

"I don't doubt we had some good moments, but they're overshadowed by the bad," Lincoln said, "I will say this, though... I forgave you for that bad luck crud. On an impulse. I didn't forgive you...or anybody else...for anything else."

"Ok, ok, I get it," Lynn waved her hands and turned the other way, "Just...you still didn't tell me why you skipped out on all my games."

Lincoln stood up, "I couldn't stand your sore winner attitude. I could tolerate everyone else's, but yours is the worst." And with that, he ended the call.

Lynn already knew that the IS Academy has begun to change him. She just shook her head, dropped the phone and walked to the bathroom, knowing that what was said would stay between them, "Lori was right. Your manners are deteriorating."

————————

"Oh man..." She wiped her eyes dry, "Not a good morning for emotional diarrhea..." She attempted to walk back to Lucy's room, but Clyde and Margo were waiting for her by the stairs.

"You ok, Lynn?" Margo asked, "You sounded like you were having a ball. And not the good kind."

"You, Uh, wanna come with me to see Dr. Lopez tomorrow?..." Clyde hesitated.

"No way," Lynn answered, "Why would I waste my money listening to someone tell me what I already know?"

Suddenly, Lynn Sr called from the living room, "Lynn? LJ? We need to talk to you."

"We?! Uh-oh..." Clyde clung onto Lynn's side, "My dads sound scary when they say that to me!..."

"I'm sure it's nothing," Margo assured them, "Maybe they found some good news."

Nope. It was something. When the trio went downstairs, they found the Loud parents and Clyde's dads waiting for them, with stern faces. When everyone settled down, Rita dropped a bomb.

"Why are you making me quit the sports team?!" Lynn protested, "There has to be a better way to do this!"

"There isn't," Rita calmly said, "You and Luna attracted so much attention, I don't think it's a good idea for you to go out on the field right now."

"Right now? As in, maybe forever?!"

"No, not forever," Lynn Sr said, "Just until this war thing settles down."

"I don't think it's likely," Harold said, "I talked with my coworkers on the phone. They're unsure about their kids hitting up extracurricular activities, since their motivation is reputation."

"Friends? Like Zach and Rusty? Even Haiku?!" Clyde yelped, and Howard nodded. "Boy, am I glad I decided to stay home..."

"Extracurricular is just the tip of the iceberg," Howard said, "There's no telling what they're going to do at a sporting event or academic tournament. Lynn, I have to agree with your parents on this."

"No, I can't!" Lynn rejected, "What am I supposed to do with my recommendations? My varsity tryouts?! I got a whole truckload of stuff lined up for me!"

"I'm sorry, honey, but you'll just be caught in the crossfire. And when you're caught up, so are we," Rita reiterated her main point, "Tomorrow, I'm coming with you to pull you out of everything after school. There'll be no sports for you this semester."

"Se...sem...no..." Lynn lowered her head in defeat.

"If it makes you feel any better," Margo offered, "I can talk with the coaches to work a hold on your position."

"No! This ain't right! I'm not gonna stop midway just because of some dumb punks!"

"Do you know what those dumb punks did to you last time?!" Margo shouted, "Your ankle was shattered, and your brother had to take the heat! Two people down because of-"

Lynn grabbed Margo's collar and pulled her in, "DON'T. SAY. IT."

"Get ahold of yourself!" Lynn Sr separated them, "This is exactly what we needed to avoid!"

"Lynn Laurela Loud!" Rita grabbed her shoulders, "What has gotten into you?!"

"I don't know!" Lynn shouted, "Maybe the fact that the only thing that gives my life that kick! That edge! Without sports, my life is mean-"

"HOLD IT!" Lynn Sr grabbed her hands and forced them into her pockets to calm her down. When her shocked gaze was on his face, he said, "It's. Only. Temporary. Just until we can get everything under control again."

Lynn backed away from them, "We can't," then went out to be alone.

Back in Japan, Lincoln was having a late night dinner. He had just suffered through a conversation about ways to let go of his emotional baggage and dealing with the massive fallout of the posts, which he cut midway in favor of buffet night at the park. Unsurprisingly, no one wanted to sit with him. And this time, he did mind it. Not even Ichika was available to save him from drowning in his thoughts.

Suddenly Kim, "Hiya, Linky-dink!"

"AAAAA-" Lincoln fell off the bench and landed his face into his food "-mm...BLECH! Mountain Yam?!"

"You okay?"

"I'm...well, yes...and no...I'm nokay," Lincoln brushed himself off and went to get another plate of food, "I just got off a weird therapy session with Rin, which somehow bloated into a conversation with Lynn."

"Oh..." Kim followed him, "did it go south?"

"Yeah...last thing I remember is telling her that I only forgave her for the bad luck crud...but not for anything else, which...does that make any sense to you?"

"Huh...not really. I'd think that forgiveness is an all-or-nothing type thing. Chow mein?"

"Yeah, please," Lincoln didn't notice Kim piling both their plates with food. He just took them to a nearby table, "Pretty much the conversation with Lynn went all over the place, and I don't think I got any closer to figuring out why I forgave them. At all." From that point, he narrated the story of how he came across the IS, starting from the attempt escape his sisters' activities, up to the verbal acceptance letter from Chifuyu.

"Ah, and therein lies the problem," Kim stopped him while taking her seat, "You've lost focus because your wall has crumbled."

"My what has a what now?" Lincoln took his seat and dug into his plate.

"If I had to guess...when you said that line before you got here, you set up a barrier between your heart and your brain. I assumed you were going off the "It's easier to forgive than forget" cliche?"

"Pretty much, Yeah."

"Well, there you go. Your heart betrays your mind. While it is better to forgive, and the rest of your family thinks you did, your entire being could not handle yet another instance of F-and-F, since you have worn yourself out with their vast abundance. Therefore, you kept doing the easiest thing in an attempt to brush it off and continue living your life, when in fact you should have confronted it from the moment those incidents started."

"Whoa Whoa Whoa! Back up. Are you saying that I somehow enabled it?!"

"Well...more like..." Kim thought, "I guess you could say you were made to do that?"

"Geez..." Lincoln wasn't too happy to hear that...affirmation. That mental conversation was supposed to be just spouting out nonsense; it wasn't supposed to be true. Maybe he was raised as a lightning rod. "Well...now what?"

"Hmm...maybe now, you can decide for yourself what you want for yourself and your family. You're far away from them, next to zero influence."

"But what if I can't figure out what it is that I want?..."

"You have three years here," Kim winked, "You have plenty of time."

"Oh...I hope it is..." Lincoln just looked around. He caught several glances of girls who heard the entire conversation, a couple of them approaching him.

"Um..." a student from Class 1-3 nervously said, "hi, Lincoln..."

"Oh...uh..." Lincoln looked to Kim, who was already talking with the student's friend, then back to her, "Hello?"

"I, uh... I saw your fight with Huang...did she do anything to..."

"Oh, no! It was nothing she did, really! It, uh...she wanted me to try something called confrontational therapy since she reminded me of my sister. Heck, she wouldn't let me out of her grasp until I agreed to the fight."

"Oh, that's a relief! I thought you...heh."

"Yeah, I tend to do that a lot lately."

The student took the seat next to his, "Is that what you were doing with Miss Yamada?"

"Sort of. I'm staying with her for the night."

"Really?! I thought you were with Orimura."

"She said something about us getting new roommates. Hopefully, nothing veers off the rails."

Back in Royal Woods, after a long afternoon by herself...at the park, Lynn started internalizing everything into her mind. Maybe it would be for the best if she could lay low on sports, but that wouldn't stop the students from walking around the halls and asking her about the brand new turf war.

Only now did she ask herself if any of that nonsense was just nonsense.

"Come on, he said he forgave us, didn't he?" Lynn wondered as she walked through the grass.

"Dudette?" Luna stumbled upon her, "What are you doing here?"

"Nothing," Lynn paid no mind and kept walking.

"Come on," Luna followed her. She sat down beside her and tried to lighten the mood, "Hey. I got a fresh pan of Lynnsagna for you. Eh? Eh?"

"I rather not, Lunes...just...man, there's a lot to unpack right now."

"What, about that stunt? I already heard from Margo."

"Oh," Lynn stopped on a park bench, "Did she tell you what Mom's gonna do tomorrow?"

"I know. I know..." Luna sat down next to her, "but...maybe, mom has a point."

"Aw, don't you start with that crud, too."

"I'm just saying...plus I didn't expect you to utterly beat the crap out of Juniper," Luna smirked.

"Uh, yeah..."

"I guess...with all the attention we've been getting, a lot of it bad thanks to the pics...maybe we oughta lay low until they get forgotten in the wind."

"That's the thing," Lynn shook her head, "I've seen the internet. It ain't going away...ever."

"Maybe not..." Luna nodded, "but still, this ain't the kind of bang you wanted to go out on, is it?"

"Nope," Lynn muttered. She kept going back to the moment when Lincoln lashed out at the family in a controlled manner. And then, two days later, he let them all down gently, yet in a controlled manner. She couldn't help but think of big tests that took place in between as his method of telling them that he was done with them. Done with his family and friends.

"Question," Lynn said, "Did he really forgive us?"

"Pfftt, whaddaya talkin' about?" Luna laughed, "Of course he did! Why wouldn't he?"

"I don't really know...just..." Lynn's mind trailed off. She didn't want to think about it anymore. She figured that the best way to move past this insanity was to focus more on the family without him, "I'm feeling a song coming on, is all."

"Oh yeah?" But Luna...somehow decoded Lynn's feelings from that one line, "It ain't a sappy song about cliches, is it?"

"Ew, no. Just one about life...yeah, just life."

And then another voice "And what's in that life?"

"AAAAA!" Lynn and Luna jumped off and fell on their keisters. When they got off each other, they saw who that voice belonged to.

"Wow...is everyone in this town this jumpy?" Tabane.

"Whoa! Tabby!" Luna piped, "What'cha doing here?!"

"Can't resist a good turf war," Tabane said, "By the way, that was a killer left hook. Not a lot of people can do that."

"Oh...well, thanks? I guess?..." Lynn winced.

"Ah, no need. I am abundant with energy, after all!" Tabane hopped over the bench and landed between the sisters, "And I wanna share some with you! You look like you're in desperate need of a quick picker-upper."

"Uh, no. I just wanted to-"

"Come on! I know a battle chant we can use! We just need Luna's axe."

Luna was hesitant at first, but upon hearing Tabane mention her axe... "Eh, why not? We need some relief every now and then," she effectively ended her delay to music that she started mere hours ago.

"But, huh?!" Lynn stuttered, "Literally yesterday, you said you-"

"Ah-buh-buh-buh-" Luna covered Lynn's mouth, "What Mom doesn't know won't hurt her..."

"Let's get a move on!" Tabane dragged them both back to the house, "This is no reason to delay anything!"

Lynn kept silent. She just went along with the flow of things because she didn't want to force anyone's hand. Not to mention the fact that she doesn't know what Lincoln truly thought of his own family, given everything he said and everything he could be hiding. So, she's decided not to wait until he speaks his mind, "Eh, I've been contradicting myself. Why stop now?"

"Wuzzat?" Luna heard something.

"Uh, nothing! Nothing," Lynn said as she tried to keep pace with Tabane, "Just...come what may. Whatever that means..."


	15. Incoming Trouble

Monday morning in Japan. Lincoln woke up extra early to catch the breakfast special. Coming from a strange night like yesterday night, he resolved to stow his inner conflict in the back of his mind and focus on the coming activities. Or at least that's what he wanted, but as soon as he entered the hallway leading to the classroom...

"Hiya, Lincoln!" Akina waved, "Boy, do I got some juicy gossip for you!"

"Oh..." Lincoln was relieved to see a friendly face in the sea of averted stares, "yeah, what you got?"

Not even a minute later...

"Keep was a way of telling her how dings?!" Lincoln exclaimed, fully sucked into the fever pitch of the hyperactive classmates.

"Oh, it be!" Akina said, "Apparently, whoever wins the next tournament will score a date with Ichika!"

"Whoa...how did this come about?"

"Who knows? All I care about is that chance to finally get closer to the sack of tasty man meat..."

Lincoln cringed at the sound of that, and the fervor of the other students did not help drown it out at all.

Cecilia and Houki were observing the insanity that was the steaming hot rumor.

"So, do you know what it is that these girls are so excited about?" Cecilia asked.

"I absolutely have no idea whatsoever," Houki was already worn out, having already known one possible cause of all the fervor.

Lincoln looked at Cecilia and Houki, then at three girls who seemed to have shown concern about the supposed rumor, "Huh...maybe they had something to do with it-"

"Ooh, a disturbing thought just crossed my mind," a student butt in and interrupted his train of thought, "What if Loud wins the tournament?" Uh, no. She derailed it. She derailed the thought trains of everyone within earshot, causing several students to fantasize about the brother-like relationship the boys shared.

"Oh my gosh! It's little brother and big brother!"

"Just when I couldn't get any more fixings!"

"Who's gonna be the bad boy?! Who's gonna be the kind heart?!"

"Well," Lincoln whispered, "at least squirrel's off the menu..."

Ichika entered the classroom looking like he made up for lost beauty sleep, "Morning, everyone!" He made the entire class stop. "What's with all the excitement?"

"Oh, no reason!" All the girls responded.

Ichika stared blankly at everyone, then at Lincoln who was just as confused as he was.

Suddenly, Chifuyu walked up to Ichika and shoved him inside, "Get in your seat now. Homeroom is starting immediately."

After everyone took their seats, Maya came in with an announcement, "Guess what, class? We're about to meet yet another transfer student."

Lincoln was informed yesterday, so he knew to expect some clamor. But just when he thought he could relax, the door opened. The student stepped inside and shocked everyone with the platinum blonde hair in shy violet eyes, and a gentle face that could woo anyone's heart. Ichika's eyes widened. Lincoln's jaw dropped. The rest of the class went into admiration.

As the third male pilot introduced himself to the IS world, "I'm Charles Dunois, and I have come from France. It isnice to meet you all."

"Dude, you're a boy?..." a student asked in awe of his overwhelming charm.

"Oui," Charles answered, "I heard about two male students who are in the same situation as I am, so I transferred here."

The class went ballistic. Lincoln quickly covered his ears, "Deja vu much?!"

"SILENCE, DAMMIT! THAT'S QUITE ENOUGH!"

The noise went by as quickly as it came. Chifuyu took control of the class, "Today, we are conducting joint practical training with Class 2. I want everyone changed and assembled on the second ground ASAP." She turned to Ichika, "And Orimura?"

"Y-yes?"

"I want you to keep an eye on Dunois since you're both boys," Chifuyu said before calling the rest of the class to attention, "Let's get moving, girls!"

"Did you know about this?" Ichika asked Lincoln.

"Another student, not another guy," Lincoln whispered.

"Hello?" Charles approached them, "You must be Orimura. It's very nice to-"

"Uh, no time for that," Ichika cut him off, "Getting There's our top priority now."

"The girls are gonna go bonkers again," Lincoln got up and grabbed both their hands, "Let's get our motor on, and quick." He dragged them out of the classroom, where no doubt dozens of overly curious girls would pounce on them should he decide to take a break.

"So, do we always have practical training in the arena?" Charles asked.

"Yep," Ichika answered, "and we have to change at the locker rooms every time it happens, so you better get used to beating the girls."

Charles looked at him as if he didn't expect that kind of answer, but quickly realized what he meant, "Oh, right."

"Hey, why do you look so anxious? Do you need to use the restroom?"

"Uh, no, that's not it-" Charles anxiously said before-

"HEY! I SEE THE NEW TRANSFER STUDENT!" A student from class 3 got in their way and led more students to their position.

"Dang it, Code Yellow!" Lincoln flinched.

"Huh?" Charles was surprised by the coming scene, and by the students'...

"Ashen white, steel blue, platinum blonde!"

"They compliment each other so well!"

Ichika grabbed the boys' hands, "Run for it!" He led them down the hallway while avoiding the girls' advances, only to be cut off by even more students, demanding they get in a question and a photo op.

Lincoln had to deploy his wing units to airlift the boys out of the girls' grasp. "HOW MANY MOOD SWINGS CAN ONE GIRL GET?!" He screamed.

"What do you mean?" Ichika asked.

"Literally yesterday, they were looking at me like I brought the emotional plague upon the school! Or was that the half that didn't see me fight Rin?...You know what, I don't care!"

"I'm not sure I understand," Charles said, "but if it's the girls' reaction, I'm confused with the raucousness as well."

"I'm pretty sure it's due to the fact that we're the only three males who can operate an IS," Ichika sheepishly said.

"Oh, right," Charles said, "Yes, that's right." He then noticed that he was being dragged on the ground, "Um, pardon me?"

"Huh? Ah! Oh, geez," Lincoln didn't notice that he was flying to low and withdrew his wings, "Uh, didn't mean to drag you."

"Are you ok, man?" Ichika asked, "You seem a little bit spaced out, too."

"Orimura?" Charles tapped his shoulder, "I think we need to get dressed."

"Oh, right! Lockers are this way! Come on!" Ichika led the way with Charles tailing after him.

Lincoln just walked. He was far too deep in the revelation that he may have just jumped 13 years into the future and carried a teenage version of Lily.

"Uh-Uh, Nope!" A revelation that had **NO! **written all over it, "The hell you talkin' about, albino? That guy's a guy! A very...very...feminine-looking guy..."

After changing into their training uniforms, both Class 1 and Class 2 were lined up in front of Chifuyu.

"Your practical training begins now," Chifuyu said, "First, we'll need to simulate an actual battle. Alcott! Fan!"

"Ma'am!" Cecilia and Rin said.

"Since you both have your own machines, I'm sure you'll gladly volunteer," Chifuyu ordered, "Step forward, girls."

The two seemed reluctant at first, but after Chifuyu whispered...something...

"It looks like it's time for Cecilia Alcott, England's Representative Contender, to step up and take charge."

"Yeah, and I can show the difference between those who have personal machines and those who don't."

they immediately propped up and put on an ego-measuring show.

"Wuuhhh?..." Lincoln drooped.

"What did the teacher say to those girls?" Charles whispered.

"How on earth would I know that?" Ichika answered back.

"So, who's my rival?" Cecilia crossed her arms and eyed Rin with a snarky grin, "I wouldn't mind tossing you around, restaurant girl."

"Eheh, that's my line," Rin returned the glare, "You're dead meat."

"Oh, don't get ahead of yourselves," Chifuyu said, "You haven't met your opponent."

Right at that moment...

"...aaaaaAAAAAAAA!"

A manned IS came plummeting downward.

"GET OUT OF THE WAY!" Maya screamed, "PLEASE AND THANK YOU!"

Everyone scrambled to evade the falling Maya. Ichika just stood there and watched in amazement at how a veteran pilot could be so clumsy to allow an IS to fall.

Lincoln saw the stiff man and jumped into action, "HIBBLETY PIBBLE" He deployed his IS and shoved Ichika out of harm's way, then merged his wings into a shield and brought it onto himself to take the full force of the crush and soften Maya's landing.

**BOOM!**

SAVVY SUITE — SHIELD 44/137%

RAFAEL REVIVE BASIC — SHIELD 53/100%

"Ugghhh..."

_("O M GOSH! What happened?! No no no no no, Lincoln stay with me!")_

"...Le...ni?..."

_("LORI! LUNA! WE'RE GO...SE...ARE...SOME...LP!...")_

"But...I'm still here, Leni..."

"You never left."

"Uh...huh?" Lincoln was brought back to his senses and finally saw just how close she was, "EEP!"

To everyone else, it looked like Maya had gotten...on top...of Lincoln, what with his face being mere millimeters away from her breasts, but that wasn't what was going on in his mind...

...at all.

"There does seem to be quite the conundrum," Maya blushed, "You see, if this progresses, then I might be entangled in a~~~"

"OK, BYE!" Lincoln wiggled himself free from the iron-claw bear hug.

"Whoa!" Ichika ran over to free him, "Hold on, little Loud!"

"Oh my god the cooties!" Lincoln freaked out, "Disinfect! Quickly!"

"Ok, calm down," Ichika soothed his shoulders, "We don't need to make a scene..."

"Eh?!" Lincoln looked around, and already the girls are either spreading more rumors, or laughing, "But...oh, forget it..."

"I'm sure you will get your bill soon enough," Chifuyu came and pushed the boys off, "Now, get back in line."

"Boy, you're really in for it now," Akina smirked.

"Just ignore the cycle..." Lincoln gritted his teeth.

"By the way," Chifuyu called both classes back to attention, "Miss Yamada here used to be a Representative Contender. She's still a fierce combatant and an expert pilot."

"Thanks, but that was a long time ago," Maya said, "and I could never break free from being just a contender."

Lincoln drowned out the exchange. He was too preoccupied with the sudden flash of a direct mental injection. A flashback he doesn't remember happening, where Leni sounded younger. He wondered what about the boobular collision could've caused that flashback to happen.

"Mr. Dunois, I'd like you to tell us about the IS that Miss Yamada is using."

Lincoln was brought back in the nick of time by Chifuyu's voice.

"But, Of course," Charles obliged, "Miss Yamada's~~~"

"A 2-on-1?" Lincoln was watching Cecilia and Rin try to find an opening on Maya. No matter how many shots they took, they were either blocked or evaded. Maya usually countered with a shot that disoriented her opponents, causing them to nearly slam into each other, "Right...definitely not Leni..."

"Loud," Chifuyu called him to task.

"Ah-Yes, ma'am!"

"You've fought against Miss Yamada during your entrance exam. Do you see any difference between the practical and this simulation fight?"

That got the girls whispering again.

"Well..." he ignored it and analyzed the current fight, "Miss Yamada's not doing anything different. If anything, it's the fault of Cecilia and Rin. They're not working together or planning a coordinated attack. They're working against each ot-"

He was cut off by Cecilia ramming into Rin's side, and Maya taking advantage of the distraction to launch a rocket at them. The two were sent spiraling downward and slamming deep into the ground.

And yet they still have energy to bicker.

"I can't believe this is happening to me..." Cecilia whined.

"Couldn't you tell she knew exactly which way you would go to try and escape from her?" Rin griped.

"And what about you?!" Cecilia nagged, "You were taking unnecessary shots like an idiot!"

"Uh, no and no," Lincoln interrupted their squabble and leaned into them with a smirk, "This is the fault of the heart. You both let your overinflated egos dictate the flow of the battle."

"How dare you insult a woman's unmatched caliber, you old ruffian?!" Cecilia snapped.

"It's not like you've ever suffered from a fight like this, so shut up!" Rin pointed a scimitar at him.

"Actually, I was his entrance exam opponent," Maya touched down and shocked Cecilia and Rin, "and he hit me real good."

Lincoln smacked his forehead, thinking that Maya wasn't aware what she just said, or what she put in Rin's head.

"I hope you're all aware of what your instructors are capable of," Chifuyu said, "and knowing that, show them the proper respect." And with the demonstration over, she began the real lesson, "For this phase of practical training, you're going to form teams. Those who have personal machines will be the group leaders."

"Gro-WHA-EP-" Lincoln blurted **out of turn**, bringing him seconds away from Chifuyu's wrath.

"Is there a problem?" Chifuyu glared at him.

"*GULP*...no, ma'am..."

"Good. Then, get forming already!"

And that was it. Lincoln had to forget about the most recent slip ups and carry himself with the current, "I can assure you that I've had double the mood swings."

"Oh, get with the good!" Akina bumped elbows with him, "You'll get your second wind!"

"Hey, let me pair with him!" A student nudged him.

"Can I be in your group too?" And another.

"Uh...sure?..." Lincoln gave up and just went with the flow.

The training proceeded with little problems. The two classes divided into groups to get a firsthand look at how an IS was supposed to be operated in and out of battle. The only problem was obvious.

"Ok," Ichika called to his group, "In order of your attendance number, I want you to put on the IS, activate it, and walk. Uh, the first one up is-"

And as if on cue, a student very cheerfully finished his sentence, "-me! Me! My attendance number is 1. I'm Kiyoka Aikawa. I'm in the handball club," -ok TMI- "and my hobbies include watching sports and jogging!" Huh?! "Nice to meet you."

Ichika blankly stared at Kiyoka's bowing gesture and extended hand, as if he had heard something he wasn't yet ready for.

He was further confounded by-

"Hey, no fair!"

"Yeah, me too!"

"Me three!"

-three more ladies extending the same reach to him, "I knew it was you at first sight!"

"Yep, definitely a Code White..." Ichika said with a mixture of discomfort and hilarity, then checked in with Charles, "BUH-"

Charles was in the same awkwardness of the situation, only with an even bigger and more affectionate crowd due to his mastery of control techniques, and his sheer looks.

"Welcome to the man-meat grinder, Charles," Ichika nervously chuckled before turning to Lincoln's direction, "Huh?"

Lincoln's group was noticeably smaller and much less love-hungry. In fact, a couple students weren't too keen on getting close to him.

"Well," Ichika thought about lending him a hand, "Maybe I should-"

"ORIMURA!" Chifuyu's voice ended that notion, "Get moving!"

"Uh, yes ma'am!"

While the training sessions were underway, Lincoln had made it halfway through the group.

"Wow. Moving this thing is a lot harder than I thought," a student commented while inside the cockpit.

"Just think of the IS as an extension of your own body," Lincoln explained, "Like you suddenly grew three times your height."

"Ok! Now, let's see," the student nodded. She concentrated her effort into the space outside her legs and got it to move. She took a few steps before calling it off, "Whew! I didn't think it be this hard!"

"You'll get the hang of it," Lincoln said, "For now, come down and switch with the next person."

The student jumped off and shook her legs, "For a moment, I felt like a giantess trampling over mountains and valleys!"

"There's plenty of time for giant sports tomorrow," Lincoln turned to his group, "Ok, who's next?"

"Um...me..."

"Hm?" Lincoln saw the girl next in line take a step back out of concern for his capacity for anger. "Oh, you saw that fight last weekend?"

"Um...a little bit."

"'Eey, What's my quota for subplots?" Lincoln mouthed before easing her tension, "That's not me anymore, Hana. I'm not gonna lash out at you."

"Well, ok...I'll hold you to it..." Hana allowed his hand into hers.

"Uh, Linc?" Akina tapped his shoulder and pointed him to his group's IS, "It's too high up."

"Oh..." Lincoln saw that the IS wasn't properly dismounted, "Hey, What if I get you up there?"

"Get wha-huh?!" Hana stuttered.

Meanwhile, Ichika's group was having the same problem. Houki's turn came next, but the previous student forgot to dismount. So, Maya's suggestion was...

"Orimura, take Byakushiki out now."

"Uh, right," Ichika deployed his IS, then looked at Houki.

"A-and just what exactly is he supposed to be doing with that?..." Houki dared to ask.

"He's gonna pick you up in his arms, of course," Maya happily answered, "and the shove you on that big thing!"

"KYAAAAAAAAA!" All of Class 1 lost it at the sound of that and turned their eyes to Houki.

"He's gonna pick me up?!" Houki stammered while hiding behind her group's training model, "And shove me on this big thing?!"

"Yup!" Maya answered, "Exactly like Loud is doing right now!"

"Loud? WAH!" Houki freaked out even more when she saw Lincoln carry Hana in his arms, in a manner similar to how a knight would carry his lady, "Awawawawaaaaaaa...eep?" She blushed when Ichika extended his hand to her.

"Come on," Ichika said, "We can't keep everyone waiting."

"There we go," Lincoln eased her legs inside and arms inside, "Now, call out your weapon."

"Ok," Hana nodded. She closed her eyes and pretended to draw out a sword. And on command, a sword materialized in her hands the moment she extended them, "Ok, I got it out."

"Alright, now just trust yourself..." Lincoln then engaged Hana in a mock battle.

When the one minute was over, Hana recalled the sword and lowered the cockpit to where she could step down. "Whew...uh, that was fun."

"I'll say. You had me nervous when you drew that blade."

"Really? I could've sworn that ~~~"

And that was the morning for him. Since his group was half the size of everyone else's, Lincoln was able to give his group a slight edge over the rest of the class on maneuverability training. Of course, that meant more whispering and mystery stories about him being spread like a plague, but he didn't mind since that meant alleviating some tension between today and yesterday. But none of that alleviated a burning itch in the back of his head, almost as if he was being watched.

In the locker room, ten minutes to lunch...

"Oh, so that's how you are able to keep pace with the rest of the class," Charles said.

"Uh-huh," Lincoln nodded, "I keep my battle uniform on underneath my regular uniform. It may smell a little, but at least I don't actually have to change."

"Huh, that really is helpful advice," Charles put his school uniform on, "You just saved me valuable minutes of skin chafing."

"Happy to be of service!"

"You are very different from what the girls have told me about you."

"Oh yeah?" Lincoln tiled his head while prying his locker open, "What do they say about me?"

"That you are very moody, carrying a lot of familial emotional baggage."

Immediately, Lincoln's locker door swung open and knocked him into Charles's locker. "Did somebody set up constant reminders over the fourth wall or something..." he groaned.

"Oh my," Charles knelt down by the locker, "you must have a way with life to be so carefree about mishaps like this."

"The heck does that mean..."

"Hey, guys!" Ichika waved to the two, "Houki just invited me to lunch with her, and I was wondering if you wanna join in."

Charles and Lincoln blinked.

"What?" Ichika blinked, "Why're you looking at me like that?"

"Do you not see the issue?..." Charles said.

"Well, Houki asked, so I figured that the others were going to barge in. So, I thought, the more the merrier."

"I'm out," Lincoln flatly said, "I think I'm being followed, and that follower might end up following you."

"Uhhhh..." Charles stood up and carried Lincoln out of his locker, unknowingly giving Lincoln a very good view of the under armor, "Pardon, Lincoln. We'll talk later, ok?"

"Yeah, sure," Lincoln scratched his head, "Don't mind it." He waited until Charles and Ichika left before dashing to the nearest bathroom stall and locking himself in it. Because he saw what wasn't down there when Charles stood up, "That guy's got no balls! That guy's a gal!"

"Hihihihi," and for no reason whatsoever, Strong Suit and Night Club appeared in the surrounding stalls to taunt him, "HIGH SCHOOL!...HIGH SCHOOL!..."

"Aw, poo-poo..." and Future Lily's once again valid.

The rest of the day went without a hitch, save for Ichika skipping half the final class period due to a severe stomachache. And Lincoln unable to scratch the itch off the back of his neck. But the day wasn't over even then.

On the way back to the dorms...

"What in the hell?..." Ichika said after Lincoln informed him of the tournament rumor, "As if a stomachache wasn't enough, now the girls had to go and give me a headache, too..."

"That's what Akina told me."

"Great. I need to ask Charles for some major help."

"Ulk-" Lincoln flinched, "Speaking of...you notice anything odd about him? Him in air quotes?"

"Huh...not really, though he does look a bit more feminine than most."

"Yeah, but what guy wraps up insanely long blonde hair in a pink ribbon? Or insists we look away while changing?"

"Huh, you have a point," Ichika said as the two approached room 1006, "Ope, looks like this is your new room."

"Yep," Lincoln sensed a slightly harsh presence within.

"Did Miss Yamada say anything about your new roommate?"

"Nope. Just that she's _another _transfer student."

"Another? Two days in a row, how the heck is that possible?"

"Well...I have a couple of ideas..."

"Alright," Ichika patted Lincoln's back, "I guess I'll see you tomorrow. We got a lot to go through."

"Gotcha," Lincoln have a thumbs up, "For the glory of the One Ring!"

"Ok, not _that_ much!" Ichika eased him down and departed to his own room, leaving Lincoln to brave whoever had the fortune of intimidating him tonight.

"Hoo-boy..." he reached for the doorknob, "Today ain't gonna be like-what the-" the door was unlocked. Usually, he'd have to beg someone to open the door, but not this time. He wondered if anyone was hiding inside, so he barged right in and sought out every inch of his new room. But there was no sign of tomfoolery anywhere. Just a slightly used bed with a modified school uniform.

"Huh..." he examined the uniform, "Doesn't look like it's made for school... army? And it's..." he went to the mirror by the door and tried it on, "Oh my...*SNICKER*..." perfect fit "...quite the conundrum...hahahah..." salute "HEIL LEDERHOSEN!"

He got back into his comfort clothing. Then, he opened a video call to his home.

Surprisingly, Luna was the early bird who received the signal, "Lincoln? Uh, wassup?"

"Is something wrong? You're not your usual upbeat self."

"I know," Luna wagged her hand, "And it ain't because it's like 9:30."

"And you're not at school...ok, who did what?"

"Yeah, about that...what was supposed to happen was: Mom's taking me and Lynn to drop her out of sports."

"Uh-huh...and what actually happened?..."

Luna winced, "Check your em. Just...check it."

"O...k..." Lincoln minimized the cam screen and opened up his inbox. What he found momentarily wrecked the mental image of the Royal Woods community he was hoping to escape to later in his sleep.

**Hey, bro. I've been thinking about what you said about retribution and all that crud. In that, I still have no idea what that means. But if it has something to do with the fact that we made you into a glutton for punishment, then maybe we oughta load just a tiny bit off your shoulders. Starting with me, since I'm the one who goaded you into going to that one game I lost. **

**-LJ**

**P.S.: Don't tell any of your IS friends.**

Amazement was all he felt. Not the good kind, like his first experience with the Milk Shaker. The bad kind, "Do I wanna hear it?..."

"Probably not, but we all did," Luna responded, "and because of that...and the coaches getting hung ho about the "WAAAR ARGH LET'S GO TO WAR!" vibe the school's been reeking of, Lynn is gonna axe every sporting event in Royal Woods."

"Ga-wuh?..."

"We all heard your conversation with Lynn the other day. Especially the part about the bat over the stairs."

"That was supposed to be-the walls. Yeah, I get it," Lincoln rubbed his face.

"Yep," Luna nodded, "And apparently, it ate everybody up so much that they chow down on Lynn like nobody's bee's wax."

"Great..." he hissed, "And lemme guess, Lynn didn't say no?"

"That's the weird part. She just said, "Fine, I'll do it." And then, she went straight to the locker room."

_("Forgiving you was a mistake... I shouldn't have done that...I should have made you work for it long ago...")_

"Oh, of course," Lincoln groaned, "It always has to tie back to whatever I did."

"What's that?"

"Nothing. How's everyone else doing?"

"About what you'd expect. Except for me. I got a few tunes I wanna crank out for the pep rally today."

"Huh...that is a surprise."

"I know, right? This right after I swore off music! What the heck is happening to everybody?"

"Looks like that war is going to happen after all..."

"Yeah...nothing we can do about it now," Luna shrugged, "Just do the best we can."

"Second that..." Lincoln said before getting that feeling of being watched, "Um...I'm gonna have to call you back."

"Oh...uh, sure thing! Just don't be too long," Luna waved and ended the call.

Lincoln groaned and leaned his head back, "Oh, what a fine pickle fish this turned out to be..." He then put his laptop under the bed and walked over to the door leading to the porch.

"Ok, I see your intimidation ability," Lincoln said...out loud, "And I know you've been giving me the heebie-jeebies all day!" He didn't hear anyone answer. "I'm coming out right now, and I wanna hear an answer outta your smart mouth!" As soon as he said his two cents, he forced the door open and punched the outside.

But no one was there.

"Guhuhuh..." He muttered, "Maybe a stray hawk?..." He looked up.

"Lincoln?" It was Kim from a balcony two stories above, "Since when did you change rooms?"

"Since I got a new roommate!"

"Oh. Well, make sure to treat her nicely!"

"I'll try..." He said before turning around- "BOYO-holy..." He managed to duck under a pointy thing before it plucked his hair, "Hehe, where did you-"

Then, a female voice surprised him from behind, "Very observant."

"AAAAA!" Lincoln toppled backward and landed in the bed, "NAKED MONKEY!" Whoever that woman was walked over to him and looked down. This was the first time he ever saw a teenage girl in a one-piece that up-close-and-personal, and that was enough to drive him into the bedsheets. The only thing that kept him from completely going bonkers was her red eyes piercing a needle of haughtiness, and her eyepatch didn't ease her leering one bit.

"And very unruly," the girl scoffed.

"Where did you come from?!" Lincoln demanded.

"Germany," the girl answered.

"That's not what I meant!" Lincoln pointed at her, "How did you get into this room?! I locked the door!"

"I would think you knew," was all she said before she walked into the shower room.

Lincoln tried to intercept her, "Actually, I was gonna-" and failed as his face met the cruel rejection of the closing door.

Later that night, after he showered and finished his homework, "*YYAAAWWWWNNNNN...* Boy howdy, that was a good distraction..." He looked around the room, "Ok, she's not here..." he opened his spiral to the last page, where he hid, amongst the wealth of notes about the IS, a vivid description of the flashback he saw. He knew for a fact that he didn't remember that happening at all, yet this was proof it happened regardless. Just from those words, he could tell that something bad happened to him and Leni was there right after it happened.

Leni. She didn't have any smarts, but her memory could be comparable to her fashion sense, "I'm gonna have to ask her about that."

"Ask who what?"

"CROCKAHOOEY!" Lincoln flinched and ducked under the desk. He peered out and saw that girl again, arms crossed and eyes down on him, "Ah, I uhhh...ask, Uh...ask you how your hair became such a silky silver! Yeah, that!"

The girl knelt down and stared intently into his eyes, as if to scan his soul for any defects. "The same way you acquired your ashen white hair," she said, "I was born with it." Then, she walked over to her bed.

"You know, dangit, woman!" Lincoln crawled out, "Could you be any-"

"Laura."

"Huh?"

"I am not "woman." I am Laura Bodewig."

"Uh-huh..." Lincoln crawled back under, "You know, dangit, Laura!" and then crawled back out, "Could you be any more jump-scare inducing?! What's your deal, anyway?!"

"I fail to see how your personal insecurities would relate to the current situation," Laura said while rummaging through her bag.

"Do you act like this around everyone?..."

"Do you always ask meaningless questions about everything?"

"The heck is-oh, forget it..." Lincoln gave up on furthering the conversation, thinking about how difficult she would be should she ever attempt to initiate contact with him.

Like a couple hours later, when he turned the lights off and was trying to settle himself for bedtime.

"Good night, Bun-bun," Lincoln said as he tucked in his stuffed bunny-

"Curious."

"YEET!" Lincoln deployed his arms and attempted to clock whoever scared the sleep out of him, only to be suddenly caught in six magenta-glowing wire-guided daggers, "TENTACLE MONSTER!"

"And a deployment speed only 0.2 seconds behind me."

"Dep-se-huh?!" Lincoln recognized that German accent, "DANGIT, LAURA! WHAT IS YOUR DEAL?!"

Laura turned on the light and examined Bun-bun, "How can it be that such vast potential is wasted on a child born of hypocrisy and ignorance?"

"Wait, wuh?...I'm only 11, BUT THAT'S NOT THE POINT!" Lincoln shouted before the wires released him, "Boy, you must be fun at parties..." He snatched Bun-bun back from her, nearly brushing against her army sleepwear, "Now, if you'd mind, Cthulhu, I would like to get some sleep!"

"The men in my barracks never slept with such a shoddy piece of fabric," Laura taunted.

"THIS AIN'T THE ARMY BASE! We're in a boarding school!" Lincoln snapped, "And why the sudden fascination with me anyway?!"

"No reason," Laura de-materialized her wire daggers and switched the lights off.

Lincoln was expecting to go the entire night worrying about when he'll get jumped again, but strangely he was completely worn out merely by just how much activity occurred around him and the new information he received from those events. As soon as the lights went out, so did he.

It didn't help that he was awoken by a pair of emails that not only shocked him into his alerted state, but gave him so much to rant about:

**Lincoln! Bad! Really bad! The coaches are so worked up in this war that...ok, yeah, Lynn kinda started because of the Squirrel Boy pic thing that-WHAT AM I TALKING ABOUT?! Her coaches are making her participate in every single sporting event this semester! I tried to call it off, and so did your mother, but no! Lynn's ok with it, and she's not even gonna reconsider it! You were right! The cycle is bug nuts!**

**-Clyde **

**I don't know what happened between you two, but she ended up not quitting sports. Quite the opposite, she's been conscripted into every single sports team in Royals Woods. I've _ordered_ four-eyes to make sure she doesn't bombrush it; that's how bad it's gotten. Please, both of you, keep your dickheadedness in check.**

**-AAdsz**

There were eight more messages related to that subject. He deleted them all.

Ten minutes later, in the cafeteria...

"Sheesh!" Ichika said while chowing down on a ramen bowl, "And I thought I had it bad."

"I don't think anything could outmatch being kidnapped at 11 years old," 'Charles' said.

"That's what I thought," Lincoln spiraled, "right before I internalized getting flashbacks of stuff that I know didn't happen to me with this IS crap, the bad luck crud that's stuck to me like really bad BO, and my new roommate that walks around like she's trying to balance a chip on her shoulder! On top of a war that wasn't supposed to happen and somehow ended up happening for reasons incomprehensible to even the most gifted of minds!"

"Eh, would you like some tea?" Charles offered a small cup to Lincoln.

"I can't...not yet."

"Hm?"

"Um, change of subject...I know rumors fly," Ichika commented, "but this is enough to start a blog."

"I still don't understand their fascination with this kind of whispering back talk," Charles said, "Why are they getting so worked up over us?"

"Maybe because we're boys?" Lincoln answered, "Otherwise, who else would talk so much about us?"

"I don't think you're helping much, to be honest," Ichika nudged Lincoln and pointed him to two girls staring at the three of them.

"Are we a dream team to them?..." Lincoln muttered.

"I guess so," Charles joked, "Where else can you find three men with radically different hair styles, hair colors, and personalities?"

"And the trifecta is complete..." Lincoln mumbled, once again overcome with time travel lag.

"Hey, mind the time," Ichika warned them, pointing to the clock that signaled the ten minute notice.

Lincoln wolfed down whatever food he had left, while Charles ended the meal early and trashed his plates.

Finally, the morning began. All the students were talking amongst themselves, no doubt having to do with the "dream team" surrounding Ichika's desk. The trio decided to carry out a conversation of their own to ease their nerves-

"What the heck is the logic behind that?!" -but then Ichika heard a student talking about the alleged prize for the tournament winner, "Who came up with that stupid notion?!"

"That's something I don't wanna probe, like, ever," Lincoln said.

"So, Lincoln?" Charles asked, "Is your new roommate really such a stiff? You've been with her for only one night."

"Oh, you're gonna take a huge iffing to her," Lincoln smirked, "She mocked my country, my age, and my "IS ability" in one exchange. If that's just on me, I don't know what she'll do to the both of you."

"Come on, I think you're overreacting," Ichika patted his shoulder, "What's one uneasy conversation gonna do?"

"May I suggest a "Hello, how do you do?" type of starter?" Charles said, "I believe it would be best to keep it simple if Laura is indeed the woman you described."

"Well...I dunno..."

Just then, Maya entered the classroom, "Ok, everyone in your seats! Homeroom is about to begin!"

When Charles walked to his seat, Lincoln whispered, "Well, how's the observational period?"

"Nothing strange yet," Ichika whispered, "aside from not being allowed to go to the toilets or shower with him for some reason..."

"Quiet at the front!" Chifuyu suddenly walked in with the silver-haired girl beside her.

Ichika and Lincoln paid very close attention to Laura, noting that she never opened her eye(s) to look at the other students, except for one instantaneous moment where she batted a menacing glance at both of them right before returning to her normal gait.

"Did you see that?..." Ichika asked Lincoln.

"Yep," Lincoln nodded, "the eye."

"Ok, class, I'm about to make another exciting announcement today!" Maya said, "I'm about to introduce yet another transfer student to our ever-expanding classroom!" Then, she waved her hand over to left, "Meet our newest transfer student from Germany, Miss Laura Bodewig!"

While the class went into a soft clamor about how it had two transfer students from two different countries in two days, the boys were looking at her for any reaction. So far, she didn't even twitch.

"Please be quiet, everyone," Maya silenced the room, "Her introduction isn't over yet, so show some respect."

"Yes, go ahead, Laura," Chifuyu said, "Please finish."

"Jawohl, mentor," Laura addressed Chifuyu before turning to the class, "I am Laura Bodewig."

Then...Dead silence for a good five seconds.

Maya didn't know why Laura kept silent, "Um...is that all you want to say, Laura?"

"Ja," Laura answered, "That's all." She then batted her eye at Ichika, "And this must be..."

The boys sensed a sort of hostility from her words. They saw her step away from the blackboard and stop right by Ichika's desk. Ichika felt unnerved by her, so much so that when she raised her hand, so did he.

"Whoa!"

Ichika just blocked a hard slap. Everyone saw it.

"Code Red-gyaha!"

Everyone saw Laura slam Ichika's hand on the table and try again...only for Lincoln to take the hit instead. He felt the sharp pain spreading throughout his face, yet he was able to stand his ground and separate the two.

"I have waited long enough, Laura," Lincoln demanded her answer, "What is your deal?"

Laura just scoffed at them, "My 'deal' is that I do not approve...in fact, I will never approve..." She pointed at Ichika, "...that he is her brother!"


	16. My Roommate Is a Young, Angsty Elitist

"Eeeeee-ay-ay-ay-"

Lunchtime at the IS Academy, and Lincoln and Charles were spending it outside, nursing wounds and processing more of the insanity that bombrushed them.

"Well, I know I'm gonna sleep well tonight-Ayyyyyyyyy-"

"Easy, Lincoln," Charles rubbed some cream on Lincoln's cheek, "And that should do it. As long as you didn't bring any hard food with you."

"Belm...uh, actually..." Lincoln took out his lunch box, "I heard you guys made your own lunch yesterday and...this..." he opened it and revealed a perfect bento, meat, rice, and all the works.

"Oh, that is problematic," Charles observed, "and the sesame chicken seems to have the perfect crisp, and the sauce is the right spice...your teeth could be negatively impacted."

"How about my cheeks, though?"

"Well, this is a surprise," Cecilia walked over to them, "What are you two doing up here?"

"We came for a change of scenery after the slap," Charles answered.

"Oh, yes, that's right," Cecilia got nervy, "That stupid German hotheaded who tried to slap Ichika merely for being Miss Orimura's brother...what an absolute crone, that one."

"And I'm bunking with her," Lincoln groaned.

"Really?!" Cecilia reacted, "I had no idea! Well, why don't you just switch roommates with someone?"

"Because his reputation is currently not very favorable because of his fight with Rin," Charles said, "Compare him with a woman who had already made clear her grudge, and..."

"Yeah..." Lincoln agreed, "Not at all good."

"What brings you here, Miss Cecilia?" Charles asked.

"Well, after the disastrous luncheon yesterday, I thought I might try to gain Ichika's favor again," Cecilia said, "but I can't find him anywhere."

"Gain his favor?..." Lincoln didn't like the sound of that, "How's that gonna go down?..."

"Simple," Cecilia showed him her lunch box, "I had prepared some sandwiches this morning. Quite simple in design, but I assure you they are worth the first bite."

"Wow, they do look appetizing," Lincoln said, "and they'll be easy on the cheeks." He grabbed one and felt the softness of the bread.

"I may as well join the parade," Charles grabbed a sandwich as well, and he bit his at the same time Lincoln took a bite...

...and shared the same disturbing daydream [**OCTOPUS RAPE**] at the same moment.

"Welp..." Lincoln couldn't bear to swallow, "...cabbage and fish sauce is sounding mighty tasty right now..."

Charles felt like he just swallowed a live squid, "I regret every decision that has led me to this point..."

"Good, yes?" Cecilia was delightfully oblivious to their faces, "I have more, so do enjoy!"

"Um...Cecilia?..." Lincoln fought the words through his mouthful, "Have you ever tasted your food before?..."

"Well, What's the point of tasting it if you already know it's delicious?" Cecilia answered.

"Oh, it is...interesting..." Charles said, "but it could still use a bit of improvement...A mark of a good chef is the willingness to taste your food and find new ways to develop it..."

"Fine, if you insist," Cecilia bragged and took a sandwich to eat, "but clearly your taste buds must not be fu-"

She did not pay attention to the part of the sandwich that entered her mouth and contacted her tongue.

-CRASH!-

As soon as the bite was made, her pupils shrunk and her smile dipped into a frown.

Lincoln spat his mouthful out, "Did you hear that?"

"Hear what?" Charles said after dousing his mouth with a milkshake.

"Sounded like a mirror broke-"

"Mmmmmmmmmm-" Cecilia tried to hold in her mouthful, but its repulsive taste eventually overpowered her will, and she was forced to run to the railing and release her true feelings,

"**BLEGH**!"

Feelings so strong, they somehow reverberated all over the Academy, and projected itself past Japan.

"**_BLEGH_**!"

So strong, they were rippled throughout Eurasia.

"**_BLEGH_**!"

They even penetrated a manor in England, awakening a maid early from her slumber.

"Huh?..." She yawned.

"Miss Chelsea?" An overnight caretaker caught the maid up, "What's wrong?"

"I thought I sensed a disturbance," Chelsea replied, "as if a friend didn't heed my advice..."

Back in Japan, Cecilia was reeling from the impact her own food left on her, "Oh my...that was ghastly..."

"It's the thought that counts..." Lincoln rubbed her shoulders.

"I never thought Ichika would be repulsed by something of my own creation...maybe he won't trust me to cook anything for him again..." (Please, not even a f—ing donkey would go near that moldy pile of asscrack! That's how s—t you are!)

"Maybe someone else's cooking might put you in a better mood?" Charles grabbed Lincoln's bento and gave it to Cecilia.

"Maybe..." Cecilia mulled, "Though I don't see how an 11-year old could-"

"I can't eat it because of Laura," Lincoln silenced her with a piece of chicken, "I mean she could pack a wallop without twitching a muscle..."

Cecilia slowly chewed up her bite, savoring every bit of flavor within the piece she received. When she swallowed, she was close to singing praises to him for the blessings bestowed-

"No!" Lincoln got in her face, "None of that! None! Of! That!"

"Sorry...it's just...so good...Where'd you find time to make this?"

"I was awoken super early by a couple...disturbing emails... and I couldn't sleep since."

"Eh, moving on!" Charles said, "If it would help any, would you like to join me and Ichika for training this afternoon?"

"Maybe Another time," Lincoln said, "I wanna try to take care of the Bodewig problem first."

"Are you sure that is wise?" Cecilia asked, "She May try to come after you even harder since you defended Ichika."

"I know, but she's not used to school life yet. She's still at war. With what, I don't know, but I gotta find out before she goes psychotic on me."

"Oh, are you employing the "know thy enemy" stratagem?" Charles's curiosity peaked.

"Umm...something like that."

Switch 'enemy' with 'ally'.

That's basically Lincoln's plan in a nutshell. The actual ins and outs...and reasons...were all too complicated and, honestly, not very well thought out. He just wanted Laura to be a somewhat tolerable roommate since the chances of switching were virtually zero. So, he thought to maximize what little peace he has and try to get some positive relationship going.

Starting with the moment school called off for the day. He was at his locker when he saw Laura enter the school lobby, "Ok...commence Operation Good Side."

Laura kept her eyes closed off to the surrounding crowd as she traded her belongings for her training uniform. She was about to close the door, but stopped midway, "Whatever you are planning, I am not concerned."

"PLGHBH..." Lincoln came out from above the lockers, "How'd you know?..."

"I could smell your scent."

"What the..." Lincoln smelled his breath, "BLEGH...What did she put in those sandwiches..."

"Speak your mind," Laura closed her locker door, "and be quick about it," then departed for the Arena 2 holding area.

"Oh, sure," Lincoln followed her, "Well, we got off on the wrong foot yesterday, and maybe we could start over? Like acquaintances?"

"What makes you think I would care about that?"

"We're roommates, classmates, and comrades, to an extent."

"We are not comrades. I just happened to be with a naive fool, nothing more."

"Hey, I didn't ask for the magic touch, ok? I just...had it. That's it-oh my wau," Lincoln was halted by Laura's sudden glance.

"At least you don't treat the IS with such disregard..." she muttered.

"Uh...thank you?..."

"Only one person concerns me," Laura resumed her walk, "the one person you had the gall to shield from his just deserts."

Lincoln wasted precious seconds pondering the exact meaning of those words, "Uh...I fail to understand how merely being the only brother of your mentor warrants retribution..." he fell behind Laura by a huge distance, "Hey! Wait up!"

Over on the arena floor, Ichika and Charles had a very productive training session, much to the dismay of Rin, Houki, and Cecilia. The boys have just finished a shooting game when Laura stepped onto the launching area.

"Finally..." Laura muttered as she walked out.

Lincoln tried to sway her away, "Seriously, big no-no! You don't wanna do-YAAA-oof!" he ended up getting flipped over on his backside, "Ohhhh...Oh, they have a lounge here!"

Laura brushed her hair and deployed, "Komm zu mir! SCHWARZER REGEN!"

"Wow...that was so cool!" Ichika marveled while holding Charles's sniper rifle, "And this gun of yours is super fast!"

Suddenly, one of the students in the stands pointed to a launch pad, "Whoa, check it out!"

Everyone turned their eyes to the pad. And there on the edge stood Laura in her Schwarzer Regen, looking down on the field as if the others were not worth the effort she was about to exert.

"Hey, isn't that the Germans' third generation?" A student asked.

"I heard that it's still in its trial period in this country," Another noted.

Houki, Rin, and Cecilia recognized Laura only as the person who tried to harm Ichika.

Not that it mattered in the slightest to Laura, as here was her chance to capitalize on his open state, "Ichika Orimura!"

Ichika handed the rifle back to Charles, "That's right."

"So, you also have a personal machine," Laura challenged him, "Good, that will make things much easier. Now fight me!"

"Why?" Ichika shrugged, "There's no reason."

"You might not have one, but I do!"

"It doesn't have to be _now_ now, does it? The class league match is coming up soon. Maybe then, alright?"

"Oh, no." Laura readied her railgun and took aim at Ichika.

Lincoln panicked, "I know where this is going. High Card!"

"Way ahead of you," High Card appeared behind him, "Keep watch of her."

Right when High Card sent a student distress signal, Laura fired one shot on Ichika. Charles quickly mobilized, bringing out his shield and blocking the missile.

"Charles!" Ichika checked If Charles was hurt.

"I can't believe she just challenged you like that!" Charles shrugged him off and materialized his full arsenal, "Of course, Germans do get hot and bothered easily."

This was the second time today that Laura was thwarted in her efforts to exact vengeance upon Ichika. She shifted her railgun's aim to Charles, "How dare you block my way with some pathetic second generation French machine."

"A machine that works much better than your German Gen 3 type," Charles countered, "which currently has no prospect for mass production!"

Laura was about to fire again when-

"Laura, stop!" -Lincoln interrupted her, with High Card, a team of instructors, and his own IS ready to quell the fight.

But an announcement over the intercom put an end to all conflict, "ATTENTION, STUDENTS ON THE FIELD! CEASE AND DESIST IMMEDIATELY!"

"Hmph," Laura obliged, not wanting to waste any effort on a confrontation with the instructors. She turned back to Ichika, "I will allow you to escape for the day." She withdrew her IS and walked away from the open space. She walked past Lincoln and his party without batting an eye to them.

When she was gone, one of the teachers came to High Card, "Will you be able to handle her from here?"

"Yes, thanks for the assist," High Card shook her hand and then tapped his shoulder, "Let's go, Ace."

"Huh?" Lincoln was brought out of his mind into reality, "Oh, right. Coming!"

"Something on your mind?"

"Yeah...can't call it Code Red anymore..."

Back on the field, Ichika was trying to process what just happened and what caused it to happen. He was about to go to Charles when Houki and Cecilia approached him.

"Ok, what was all that about, Ichika?" Houki said, "Spill it!"

"Spill the beans after being shot at, eh, Miss Apprehensive?" Cecilia groaned.

"What?! She knows him! She's angry at him, so-"

"For being her brother," Charles said, "Her intentions were not at all veiled."

"Well...he was...Ugh..." Houki felt Rin's hand on her back and took it as a signal to give up.

"Speaking of," Cecilia asked, "Did something happen between you and Laura in the past?"

"Well..." Ichika felt compelled to talk, mainly because of wild misunderstandings that could result from his silence, "Yeah...why don't we take ten. You guys are not gonna believe this..."

After the boys finished their training, they made their way back to the dorms. But Lincoln had in mind to find Laura and figure out why her deal was about Ichika. He only had to take five steps out until he saw her. "Laura! Hey, Laura!" He waved and ran over to her side.

Laura maintained her steady demeanor, "What do you want now?"

"That sudden attack on Ichika," Lincoln said, "What in the ever living core gut was that?"

"That is not your business."

"Well, considering that Ichika is my _friend..._Yeah, it pretty much is my business."

"What possible relationship could you have with that shriveled up Drecksau?"

"I could ask similarly about your relationship with your 'mentor' Miss Orimura," Lincoln scratched his chin, "Aren't you getting a bit too emotional about this?..."

Laura twitched upon hearing that notion. "That's a very crude observation," she dropped her bag and turned to approach him, "considering you've never known Mentor's true strength."

"Uh, ok..." Lincoln waved his hands and backed away, "Ok, ok...Use your words, buddy. We're all on the same side here!"

Laura inched closer and closer to his face, "I have more than enough words to describe you, Loud."

"Loud. Bodewig."

"GUH..." Lincoln locked up upon hearing Chifuyu's voice.

"Mentor..." Laura whispered.

Chifuyu confronted the two young students, with High Card at her side, "So, these two are the ones in holding area 2-1."

Lincoln didn't know what to make of his current situation, "Uhhhh...High?..."

But High Card did, "Sorry, bro. I had to get a hold of someone who knew Laura."

So did Laura, "I must say that I am grateful."

"So then," Chifuyu said, "am I correct in assuming that you are the cause of the ruckus in the arena?"

"I was merely testing his strength," Laura responded.

"And what about that test involved firing from the pit?"

Lincoln read the atmosphere of the conversation and tried to leave, "Uh, I got a lot of homework. Maybe I should-"

"No can do," High Card held him in place, "I think you need to hear this."

"Huh? Why?..."

Laura's next words told him why, "Because I'm not sure if he's worth the trouble."

"Ohhhhh..."

"What business is it to you that he's my brother?" Chifuyu raised an eyebrow.

"I do not accept it!" Laura protested, "I absolutely refuse to believe that your absolute power stems from an animal such as that!"

Chifuyu groaned and just let her rant.

"Tell me, Mentor," Laura continued, "Why do you consign yourself to this unruly position?"

Chifuyu sighed, "I didn't think you be this short-sighted. I do have my own role to play."

"What are you talking about?" Laura got desperate, "You can't be so willing as to abandon my camp and reduce yourself to a mere plaything for immature girls!"

Chifuyu kept silent.

"Please answer me, Mentor!" Laura demanded, "Why are you in a place like this?"

"Don't make me repeat myself over and over again," Chifuyu said, "I have my own role to play. That's all you need to know."

"What kind of role could you possibly have to play here in the Far East? I'm begging you, Mentor, please come back and teach us in Germany once again. You can't even exert half your abilities in this wretched place!"

"Uh-huh," Chifuyu merely let the rant go on.

"The students in this academy do not deserve to be taught by someone of your caliber! They lack a sense of danger, and have mistaken the IS for an extravagant fashion accessory! I find it unbelievable that you would give your time of day to these people-"

Chifuyu had enough, "I think I've heard enough, little girl."

Laura gasped as she did not expect her mentor to reprimand her like that.

"You've grown up quite a bit since I last saw you," Chifuyu said, "just enough to delude yourself into assuming that you're the 'chosen one' when you're only 15."

"Wha?!...I was just-"

"Now run along. I'm a busy woman and you need to get back to your dorm."

Laura saw that Chifuyu would not budge from her choice. She winced as if something inside her had broken, then fled the scene not wanting to risk showing any weakness to Lincoln.

"Hey! Laura! Come ba-oh, bother..." Lincoln stopped midway when he saw her glare at him during her retreat, "Did everyone get anesthetized on touchy-feely caffeine to come here?..."

"I ask myself that every day," High Card quipped.

"Not the time," Chifuyu patted High Card's belly before calling to a tree a few yards away from her, "Male student over there! Were you eavesdropping, or indulging in some aberrant sexual behavior?"

Ichika came out of hiding, "How can you say that, Chifuyu?! You're my sister, for cripes' sake!"

"At school, you will call me Miss Orimura," Chifuyu reminded him.

"Yes, ma'am..." he sighed.

"Neither of you have any time to slack off when you should be out there training. At the rate you two are going, you won't survive half the first match."

"We know that," the boys responded, though Lincoln thought that was a bit much.

"In that case, fine," Chifuyu turned to walk back to the admin building.

But Ichika stopped her, "Miss Orimura?"

"Um, about what Laura said today, about not approving that I'm your brother," Ichika mulled, "Did it have anything to do with how you missed the second Mondo Grosso because of-"

"That's all in the past," Chifuyu was suddenly in front of him with her hand on his shoulder, "You don't have to worry about that anymore, ok?"

"I...sure, If you say so."

Chifuyu smiled, "Alright, then." And then she left.

"I don't know what she's doing," Lincoln grumbled, "but I KNOW SHE'S **_DOING IT_**!"

"Not right now," High Card bopped Lincoln's head before fizzling out of existence.

"I think we need to get some rest," Ichika walked ahead of Lincoln.

"Hey, What was all that about?" Lincoln caught up to him, "Your getting kidnapped wouldn't have anything to do with that sucker punch, would it?"

"Actually...I think it does," Ichika then told the same story he told his friends in the arena.

(Which was similar to the following story Chifuyu told Lincoln at the hotel when he couldn't sleep and came to her for a bedtime story.

The Second Mondo Grosso...five years ago, Chifuyu was entering the finals poised to claim her second consecutive world championship title. But a few hours before the final, she tried to phone home, only to repeatedly be put on voicemail. Somehow, she figured out that Ichika was kidnapped, and asked help for his location. The German forces who came to Japan pinpointed his exact location, and moments before the final, Chifuyu did the unthinkable...taking the IS and flying all the way to the kidnappers' location, thereby forfeiting the match and the title. When she touched ground, she did not allow her enemies a moment's respite; she took out all who stood in her way and left a trail of blood and ruin behind, showing the slightest bit of mercy only when one of the kidnappers took her to where Ichika was being held.

But in exchange for the information about Ichika's location, Chifuyu trained the German forces for a full year in IS combat. Losing the championship by default was the least of her worries, however, because that was where she ran into Laura.)

"Oh...so that's where this need to be stronger came from," Lincoln said.

"Yep," Ichika nodded, "Just the fact that Chifuyu had to come for me...she had to forfeit the match because of me... I felt like I was just a good-for-nothing pathetic excuse for a brother."

That line...

_("I have no brother! I know I've said it before, but this time...I really mean it.")_

_("Mmm-I don't wanna hear it. You told me you could handle the grocery shopping, but clearly you cannot.")_

_("Aw, Lincoln...of course we're gonna make fun of you! But only for the rest of your life!")_

_("You're bad luck, Lincoln! You! Can't! Come!")_

_("Congratulations, elder brother. Thanks to you, the threat level is now at Stampeding T-Rex.")_

_("When he's this pathetic, it takes all the joy out of making fun of him.")_

...that line touched several nerves. All of a sudden, Lincoln was reminded of every single time he found himself on the bad side of everyone within his sight. Many of those times, he was the punching bag. If he wanted some time away from the noise, he would have to cater to everyone's needs to fulfill their sadistic satisfaction. If he wanted to make a business, it was either give not-helpful advice, or get pied in the face by virtually every single person in Royal Woods Elementary. If he wanted his sisters to even the slightest bit easier on him...well, there's no way. Either suck it up and toughen up or get out, and he got out, "Believe me, I know how that felt."

"Exactly," Ichika said, "Which is why I can't let her watch over me anymore. I can't keep relying on someone else to bail me out of trouble."

"You got all that just from one incident?"

"It wasn't just that incident. For the longest time, I've felt like nothing but a burden to Chifuyu, always needing her help to do everything. And now comes a chance for me to take matters in my own hands, and I still need help understanding that very tool... and now I feel like I'm walking in and out of Limbo."

"Hah, same here. But I bet Charles has it easy, being the only child of a super powerful CEO of an IS corporation."

"That's..." Ichika saw this as a chance to change the subject, "...odd you said that. He doesn't wanna change with me. He said it made him uncomfortable and freaked out when I had my arm around him."

Lincoln chuckled, "Ok, are you _sure_ he's not a she?"

"Heheh, not sure! I'll be sure to 'politely ask him' to try on a miniskirt," Ichika returned the smirk and looked to his right, "Ope, There's my room. So, how are you gonna handle you-know?"

"Knowing her, she might lash out at Cecilia and Rin next. I might have to go Operation Lightning Rod again."

"Sheesh...there's gotta be a better way."

"I'll figure something out," Lincoln walked back to his room, "Catch you later!"

"See you!" Ichika waved as he entered his room, then entered the shower room, "Hey, Charles. I got you a new bottle of body-"

"AH!"

"-soap..."

Ichika locked up. He was at a total loss for words. The person who he thought was a good man...wasn't a man, as evidenced by her breasts suddenly quadrupling in volume. Suddenly, everything Lincoln said made sense. Yet, he did nothing for a good minute.

He caught 'Charles' in a shocked daze, only to drop both their composures when he dropped the soap bottle and point his finger at her, "AHA! I KNEW IT!"

"Huh?! What do you mean?!"

"YOU ARE A GIRL!" Ichika bolted out, "LOUD!"

"W-wait, don't-" Charles was too slow to stop him. She panicked as the very real possibility of her exposure was just around the corner...and also the fact that a male just saw her being wrapped in only a towel with her upper chest completely exposed.

Unbeknownst to her, Ichika didn't actually leave. He just snuck back to his bed and hid under the sheets contemplating his real next move.

Meanwhile, Lincoln was having an encounter of his own. Once he opened the door, he went straight to his laptop and found a few...concerning emails.

**I honestly thought that I would be brought to my lowest point when my secret fascination with Princess Pony was made public, but this pit of despair I find myself in has actually been giving me and Mom inspiration. I've got a very haunting novella on the way, and Mom was scribbling in her notebook while working. People are talking about us...me, especially. And I'm welcoming it. I'm embracing it. I'm "I think something's wrong with me"ing it.**

**—Lucy**

**Lincoln, why didn't you tell me about Lynn atop the stairs that day? Had we known right away that she threatened you, I would've forced her to stay home...or at the very least, go to the game by herself. Well, once LJ spilled the beans over the story, I thought that taking her out of sports would only enable her to exhibit bad behavior. I convinced the coaches to give her a taste of her own medicine. Your dad and I are working to find out what else your sisters did to you behind our back. But if anyone in IS Academy is bothering you, please let me know.**

**—MamaRita**

**The first battle of the war has been fought... and lost on the soccer field. The coaches have been doing your sister wrong. I'm sending Clyde to make it easier for her to bear the pain. There's a football game tomorrow and she's replacing the quarterback. I will keep you posted in case any dire updates happen upon us.**

**—Lancy Lisa**

"As if I didn't have enough to sort out..." Lincoln plopped his head on a pillow. He honestly didn't expect to be unraveling when he left home. At this point, he really would rather abandon his last name rather than try and deal with this situation, "There're those cyclic feelings I've missed for so many minutes..."

"And what concern are they to you?"

"They're my family, so it's every bit of-" shiny pale skin "-COVERING THAT SHOULD BE ON YOU!"

"Cover what?" Laura maintained her unfazed monotone expression..._while wearing nothing._

"Can you please find something to wear?..." Lincoln covered his face with the blanket.

"You really are a weak minded fool," Laura walked past him, "To be so fearful of an everyday sight."

"CLOTHES ARE AN EVERYDAY SIGHT!" Lincoln protested, "VAMPIRE GLITTERY HAIR SKIN IS NOT-uh..." he was suddenly held up by the collar, now forced to stare down Laura's naked body. Thankfully, her eyes took him away from her skin, "Red and yell-" choke "-eep!"

"Are you done yammering?" Laura hissed.

"Uh, Yeah! I'll be quiet!" Lincoln said, "You just do you, ok?"

Laura promptly dropped him on the floor and walked away.

Leaving him to ponder his next move while going outside for a small flight around the campus, "To those who still haven't gone to the bathroom yet, I salute you..."

Ten minutes later, Lincoln and Laura were back in the room. Tension filled the air. She was apprehensive towards him for interfering with her attempts to get after Ichika twice, and he was uneasy about her for reasons known and unknown. Lincoln was sitting at the desk doing homework while Laura was going over her military drills in the balcony.

Lincoln wanted to break the silence, but he couldn't find a good conversation starter. Then, he suddenly flashed back to this morning...

_("My 'deal' is that I do not approve...in fact, I will never approve...that he's her brother!")_

"That's...Just...odd..." Lincoln blurted out before quickly covering his mouth.

"What now?" Laura groaned.

Lincoln rattled his mind for an excuse, "Uh...odd that...your eyes...your eyes are red and yellow."

"Oh..." Laura did not snap at him this time, "I received this eye to enhance my compatibility with the IS."

A starting point. Lincoln bounced off that line, "They do that in the army?..."

"It's not something you can comprehend."

"Ah...wait, you needed to enhance your compatibility? I thought you had good compatibility to begin with."

"How long do you plan to test my patience with your incessant rambling?"

"Just trying to talk, is all..."

"Hmph."

"...seeing as how you seem eerily attached to Miss Orimura, and you really hate Ichika for something he can't-"

"Don't say that name."

"Wuzzat-" -**SMACK!**\- "-UGH!" The moment Lincoln turned his head, he was swatted across the cheek and fell on the floor, "And here it comes..."

"Don't you dare say that name in front of me," Laura growled.

"Ngh...whose name?..."

"You know who," Laura said, "That good for nothing pathetic excuse for a brother!"

"Oh, so he's the reason why Miss Orimura can't go back to Germany," Lincoln sat himself in his bed, "Is that what this is about?"

"You know nothing about Mentor's true strength!"

"Sheesh, What is it with you and strength?..."

"Strength is an absolute determinant in a being's self. It is what separates the weak from the strong. And Mentor is the strongest of them all. I do not understand how she could will herself to that weakling!"

Lincoln couldn't resist a smile, "Wealki-Wow, You are in desperate need of a moral upgrade."

"And you need to open your eyes! If you had done so, you would have appreciated your abilities more and found a much better use for them!"

"As if surviving a family of 13 wasn't use enough? Wait-wait-no, no, no, why does it matter if you can break a brick with your bare hands or not? Isn't it enough to save the show and walk away, instead of showing off your strength like a crazed body buff man?"

Laura was done reasoning with him and turned away from him, "No, it's not. You're not willing to do what it takes to attain power. You, and every other simpleton in this dreadful prison of an academy. I find it incredulous that such a tremendous amount of potential is wasted on a naive little boy."

Halfway through that paragraph, Lincoln's mind played the connections game again, linking Laura's supposed quest for power to her earlier conversation with Chifuyu and Chifuyu's story about how meeting and training the Germans for a full year...and, with a brief flash of all the manga he read, came up with the most insane conclusion he could muster...but it was the only conclusion that made any sense to him, though...

"So, that's all that happened to you," he said, "You were cast aside until Miss Orimura happened along."

"Cast out?" Laura scoffed, "Don't make me laugh."

"Cast-oh,right, wrong wording," Lincoln said, "You needed the enhancement because you had to master the IS, but it didn't work so you were cast aside until Miss Orimura happened along."

Laura's heart and mind sank upon hearing those words. She couldn't fathom how on earth an 11-year-old boy with nowhere near her prowess deciphered her past, using only the words that came out of her mouth, in just one sentence, "How...how did you-"

"I'll admit...it's better than them keeping you around and using you as a footrest while they do pedicures on your back."

"Was zur Hölle..." make that two, as when the enhancement failed, Laura was treated as a defective product until Miss Orimura happened along, "Wait, What did you just-"

-rrrrmmmmm...-

Lincoln cut her off with his stomach, "Whoops! I guess I only need two meals a day! I'll be back in a bit..." and he ran out of the room, leaving Laura to wonder what other surprises he had in his mind to compensate for his lack of physical strength.

"Ugh...that coulda gone better..." Lincoln himself was wandering the halls, trying to figure out how he wound up getting in her head in a bad way, "Remind me to join an etiquette club in a few days...Man, how did I talk so wrong..." Just then, he noticed Cecilia and Houki escorting a less-than-enthusiastic Ichika to the cafeteria.

"Oh, Miss Houki, what do you think you're playing at here?" Cecilia demanded while hugging Ichika's left arm.

"You said that a gentleman is expected to escort a lady, right?" Houki said while hugging Ichika's right arm.

"Well, that's true," Cecilia giggled, and the two escorted Ichika together.

"Hold on, you two," Ichika struggled to walk, "It's getting hard to balance my feet with-" the girls pinched one of his nipples and testicles "-GYAAAHAHAAAAA!" He had enough and deployed his wing units to push Cecilia and Houki off him, "You know what, forget it!"

"And where do you think you're going?!" Cecilia shouted.

Lincoln saw them approaching him and waved, "Hey, did I miss some-" yank "-thing?"

"Just ordering takeout," Ichika grabbed Lincoln's collar and literally dragged him over, "I have a friend with a peculiar problem."

"What's food gotta do with it?...Oh, wait!"

SAVVY SUITE — SHIELD 85/137%

"Ok, drag away."

Later in the cafeteria line, Ichika and Lincoln shared the conversations they had with their respective roommates.

"Holy moly..." Lincoln mulled, "Her dad put her up to this?..."

"But it's not like Char-uh...she wanted to," Ichika said, "She was on orders from for father. And as long as she stays here, he can't touch her."

"That's good. Have you thought of anything yet to keep her out of prison?"

"Nope, nothing yet. Besides, I just found out a few minutes ago."

"Well, I just now figured out that Laura respects only power and the show of force. She views tenderness as a sign of weakness."

"Wow...we need to upgrade her moral chip or something."

"You just made her seem like a robot," Lincoln grabbed his tray.

"Really? Oh, well with how she's been acting around everyone else, she might as well be..." Ichika grabbed his and Charles's trays and led Lincoln back to their room, "So, What are you gonna do about Laura?"

"I guess Lightning Rod is my best option. Starting with challenging her to an IS battle. Gotta contain the violent psycho whacko somehow."

"Eugh...not looking forward to it," Ichika opened the door and led Lincoln to the girl who dressed as a boy, "Hey, I'm back."

"Oh, welcome back," Charles sat up in her bed, "Ah, and this must be the child prodigy."

"Child who now?"

"Heheh, it's nothing," she chuckled, "I just didn't expect you to figure out my true identity."

"Well, you did leave some clues."

"So, are you two ready to eat?" Ichika asked, "Hey, I got you some food."

"Oh, thank you," Charles said, "HUH?!"

After everyone settled in, the three finally started on their dinner...or, Ichika and Lincoln did. Charles stared at her food, struggling with the only utensils afforded to her.

"Oh, that's right," Ichika said, "You can't use chopsticks, can you?"

"Well, I have been practicing, but-Oh!"

Charles accidentally dropped them into her bowl.

"Hang on," Ichika got up, "I'll be back with a fork."

"Oh, no! That's ok!" Charles waved, "I don't need-"

"You know, you oughta to learn to take advantage of your roommates' kindness sometime," Ichika sighed.

"Huh?" Lincoln and Charles weren't expecting that line.

"How did that saying go?...He who hesitates is lost."

"I don't think that would be applicable here," Lincoln said.

"What's the harm, Linc? She isn't one to do harm to anyone," Ichika reassured, "So, how about it, Charles? You take advantage of me tonight, and I'll take advantage of you some other time."

"Well...I guess it can't be helped..." Charles said nervously.

"I don't think we can use 'Charles' anymore now that it's come to this point," Lincoln said, "So, Why not use Charlotte?"

"Huh?"

"That's your real name, isn't it? Charles bounces off from Charlotte, right?"

"Well...I..." The blonde looked down at her food and smiled. She had expected the boys to run out and tell everyone they knew, but something about their relaxed demeanor and friendly banter told her that she could trust them. If her previous conversations with Ichika and Lincoln weren't indicative enough, "I...could you feed me, then?"

"BUH-" Lincoln spat his mouthful out.

But Ichika had expected that response, "Ok...my word is my bond."

Lincoln just sat back and watched the scene unfold. Seeing how Ichika fed Charlotte and the pleasant vibe they gave off reminded him of how he would feed Lily on her play days. He almost wished he could have just one more day back home to play and cuddle with Lily-

"Oh no, some rice got in your, Uh..."

"Ehe, better go get it."

_("Oh no. Some wimp got in our way.")_

_("Heheh, better go get him.")_

"Ugh...What the..." almost.

Meanwhile, High Card, Night Club, and Strong Suit were tailing Laura all the way out to Arena 3, their path only made clear by the crisp cool moonlight.

And Strong Suit was pissed, "Remind me why we're stalking 'Mad-Eye Moodelina' again."

"Because we need to see what kind of mental state she's in," High Card whispered, "We're on enough damage control duties and I do not want her to make it worse."

"Kinda defeats the purpose of getting away from it all, wouldn't you say?..." Strong Suit rolled her eyes.

"Hey, keep it SHH!" Night Club whispered, "I can hide our IS signatures, but not your loudspeaker big mouths!"

Strong Suit yanked Night Club's jetpack, "I got something loud for you right here!"

"Shut it!" High Card bopped both their heads, "She's over there!"

"Yep..." High Card slapped her forehead, "We're literally doing this..."

The three hid themselves behind the doorway while watching Laura stand on the edge of the launch pad.

Laura's mind was filled with possible strategies on how to get back at Ichika. She had failed her personal mission twice, no doubt because of her roommate's interference. She didn't care to figure out why she was paired with Lincoln of all people, who was almost nothing like Ichika. They were both naive to wander into the world of the Infinite Stratos, seemingly by accident. But Lincoln has shown himself to be far more proactive than Ichika, in both action and intelligence, just enough to stand against her despite knowing her background. And not only did he have the gall to challenge her beliefs in absolute power, but he figured out a piece of her past and dared to spit it back in her face.

He went from a mouthy fool to actual threat. Just like that.

Laura looked up to the moon, "Mentor...your absolute and incomparable strength is the goal I seek, the very reason for my continued existence." She closed her eyes and began to undo her eyepatch, "Ichika Orimura...the person who cast a stain upon Mentor's name..." and threw it down on the arena floor, revealing the golden eye that Lincoln was not meant to see, "Lincoln Loud...the little boy who defends the man undeserving of such power and question Mentor's strength...I swear that I will get rid of the both of you by any means necessary."

The three ran out of the arena as soon as Laura finished her speech.

"That's two cliches in one!" Strong Suit, "How did she do that?!"

"Night, go!" High Card ordered, "Do not let him leave 1025!"

"Sail away, captain!" Night Club triggered her jetpack and flew off towards the dorms while High Card and Strong Suit fizzled out of existence.


	17. Lightning Rod Lincoln (Part 1)

Night Club reached Lincoln just in time to see him about to leave, and warned him about Laura's speech. Following her advice, Lincoln yanked his belongings out of Laura's room and unofficially moved back in with Ichika. And Charlotte, by extension.

The next morning came early for them, as they were all awoken by Lincoln's laptop.

-BEEP-BEEP-BEEP-

"*YAAWWWNNNN..." Lincoln was the first up, "Who is it now?..." he propped himself off the floor and opened the laptop, and was greeted by- "THE HARVESTER! **AAAAA**!" a masked being.

"WAAAHAHAHA-" Ichika jolted up and fell off the bed, accidentally throwing a pillow to Charlotte.

"Mmfff..." Charlotte muffled, "Encore cinq minutes, ma-" She saw the laptop "-MA MIA!"

Once the person behind the laptop removed the mask, "What's with all the screaming-YAAAAAA!"

"**SCARY FACE MONSTER!**" Ichika, Lincoln, Charlotte, and Leni hit the floor.

Just then, Lucy popped up on screen, "I can assume that you're awake?"

Five minutes later, Leni, Lucy, and Lily are assembled in front of the computer. Lincoln asked them about the flashbacks he had received.

"Oh my word," Lucy said, "That is quite the phenomenon. I've never been one to dwell in psyches like this."

"Well, the weird part is that I don't remember them happening," Lincoln said, "and yet, here's proof that they happened."

"You can ask Leni," Lucy looked above her, "She's right here, and she's the first flashback you have acquired."

"What's that mean?" Leni asked.

"It means, you were there when he got hurt," Lucy reasoned, "and you were there when two people beat him up."

All of a sudden, Leni went from confusingly relaxed to disturbingly disturbed, "Ah... I... don't think it's a brain problem?... or maybe..."

Lily released her thumb from her mouth and looked up at Leni, "You know?"

"What?!" Leni stuttered, "I...did...Oh, Lori's calling me! Something about ironing out her jawline. Ok, bye!"

Charlotte tilted her head, "You said Leni is the ditzy one?"

"Yeah..." Lincoln nodded.

"Well, she must not be that ditzy if she acts like she remembers something you were never meant to know."

"So, something did happen to me..." Lincoln mused, "Maybe I was in a fight?..."

"Guys, Lucy called us," Ichika settled everyone down, "Maybe let's let her talk first?"

"I called to let you know that we are in the midst of preparing for Halloween," Lucy said, "and to say an early happy birthday to you since we will be occupied with so much activity."

"What?" Ichika was confused, "I'm sure you can squeeze some time in to-"

"No, she's right..." Lincoln pointed to his calendar. His birthday is the day of the next Class League match.

"Oh no..." Charlotte said, "That will complicate matters tremendously."

"Ah, well!" Lily piped.

"Aw, what a little charmer you have!" Charlotte cooed, "Voulez-vous jouer dans les fleurs?"

"Flowa! Flowa! AAAAAAAAAhahahahahah..."

"Oh my."

"Moving from that," Lincoln said, "What's going on with Lynn?"

"Well, she's in a basketball game," Lucy said, "All I can do is hope that things will go okay for her."

"So do I," Ichika said, "With all that's come out within the past couple weeks, I can't imagine what she's going through."

"I can," Lincoln muttered.

And yes he could, because while Lincoln was departing for breakfast preparing to implement his Lightning Rod protocol, Lynn was already taking one for the team. The middle of the third quarter. Lynn's team was behind. She was about to pass to a teammate until she slipped, and she tripped and fell, arousing something in her ankle, and earning the ire of her teammates. She had to waddle her way to the locker room and nurse her foot when a coach ran to her.

"What are you doing, Loud?!" The coach yelled.

"I busted my ankle!" Lynn said, "I need some rest!"

"There ain't no time for rest, slack jaw!" The coach yelled, then grabbed a needle, "Here! Take this medicine and get back out there!" The coach was about to inject something into her ankle when a hand slapped the needle into Lynn's hand. Then, the coach was pushed away.

And Tabane popped up in front, "Ohhhh, no no no no no no! This will not do!"

"Tabby?" Lynn stared, "What are you doing here?"

"Yeah, what are you doing here?!" The coach demanded, "Get outta my-uoooo-OOF!"

Tabane forcefully sat the coach on the floor with one finger. Then, she gave Lynn a second needle.

"Uh," Lynn looked at her hands with confusion, "What's in this one?..."

"Nanomachines!" Tabane cheerfully explained, "Long story short, while that..." death glare at the coach "...pain-number numbs the pain..." return to happy "...those tiny little buggers are doing the work your coaches should be doing."

"Are they gonna tear my body up?..."

"That's what this is for," Tabane took the needle the coach dropped and crushed it, "This other one will not only protect your ankle from further damage, it will simply help your body heal itself faster than it can destroy itself! And it's usable while you're out footballing."

"And how can I get them out of my body?"

"Why, right after you are number one!"

_("You cannot go number two until we are number one!")_

"Uh...right..." Lynn winced as she felt the needle go inside her ankle. And then she wiggled as soon as it left her skin. It didn't nullify all the pain, but it felt like it was being continually massaged. And her ankle mobility was back, "Whoa... is that the-"

"Now, get out there, tiger!" Tabane shoved her out of the locker room and back into the play area, "Drive those poor nut bunnies Lynnsane!"

The game resumed, and already Lynn felt the difference. Every step she took didn't hurt her in the slightest, but rather gave her that pillowy feeling of a bouncing on a bed. And that feeling carried her through to the fourth quarter, when her team stood on a one-point lead.

But the coach was not satisfied, "Move it, Loud! Show me that go-Uhhhh..."

until Tabane showed up, knuckles cracking. "I got my eye on you, jerkoff," she growled, sending shivers down the coach's spine, and walked back to the stands.

By the time Lynn's game finished, Lincoln's was just beginning. He, Ichika, and Charlotte (still maintaining her Charles identity) were walking towards the classroom.

"For your sake," Charlotte rubbed Lincoln's shoulders, "please try not to worsen your relationship with Bodewig."

"Doubt it'll be possible," Ichika said, "Laura hates us."

"All the more reason to keep her away from everyone else," Lincoln mused, "especially when-"

The trio was interrupted by an overly excited student, "I'm telling you the truth! In fact, everyone in the entire school is talking about it! The deal is that whoever wins first place in the tournament is gonna get to date Orimura! I swear it's true!"

"-that."

"*SIGH...* And I didn't know this how?" Ichika was already in the pood, "We need to put a stop to this."

"I agree," Charles (Charlotte) nodded, "although I think it would be problematic if we all chipped in."

"Huh?!" Ichika flinched, "Are you saying that I have to stand in front of the class?!"

"And tell them to stop it," Lincoln said, "You can't sugarcoat it either. You just have to say it."

"Uh...well, I think I'm gonna get throttled," Ichika scratched his head, "but if it means staving off something worse, then...ok. I guess it's on me."

And then, an all-too-familiar commanding voice, "No, it's on all on all of you."

They all froze.

"Isn't there somewhere you three stooges need to be?" Chifuyu demanded.

The class was underway. Attendance check has just been completed, and first period was halfway through. Ichika was fortifying his mind for the incoming chaos. He was so focused on hardening his heart that-

"Hello! Ichika Orimura!" -he didn't notice Maya call him.

"UH! HERE!" Ichika shot up, much to the students' humor.

"I'm sorry for singling you out," Maya said, "but I do need you to answer this problem."

"Oh, right, uh, ok..." Ichika nodded and stared at the hologram protruding from the blackboard, "Huh? Looks like the Equalizer data was put in incorrectly. For this IS, it should be the defensive ICG code, not the long-range expansion."

Maya blinked, "That's...actually correct..."

"Hoy..." Lincoln held his breath for that moment, and he relaxed when Ichika gave a satisfactory answer. But he locked up again when Ichika didn't sit down.

"Orimura, you can sit down now," Maya said.

"Actually, I need to say something about the upcoming tournament."

"Oh? Well, I'm sure we'd all like to hear it," Maya played on the sudden curiosity of the students and allowed Ichika the chance to say his two cents.

It felt like two hundred dollars, though, because nobody expected him to come up to the front and be so nervously blunt about it, "Uh...ggg... I don't know this rumor about the winner of the next tournament gets to date me, but it is false! And it has to stop immediately!"

Heads dropped. Hands slammed desks and foreheads. Almost all the girls voiced their disbelief over what they just heard.

"You told me Ichika doesn't know!" Cecilia stammered.

"Well, Yeah!" Kiyoka said, "This was decided by the girls only! How'd he find out?!"

"D'ah! That-th-that there's the problem!" Ichika pointed at Kiyoka, "I did not agree to that at all! How did you come up with such an outlandish contest?!"

"But think about it!" A student piped, "You get to date one of us fashion-savvy women!"

"Not to mention," another student said, "We might let you get our measurements personally."

Ichika cringed at the sound of that, "That's not the problem here."

"Well, it should be!"

"Whoa, Hey!" Ichika flinched, "Are you saying that I should have no say in this matter whatsoever?!"

"That is what it sounded like..." Akina muttered.

"That's how we got this tournament rolling, didn't we?" Kiyoka said, "Now everyone wants to fight!" And started an unnecessary discussion amongst the female population.

"Though I don't think it'd be very manly if he threw the fight right away..."

"I think it'd be nice."

"He should just leave it to us, then!"

"Wait, how did he find out in the first place?!"

"I don't believe that he heard it from us! Someone must've told him!"

"*GULP*" Lincoln was on high alert.

"That's the guy!" For good reason.

"He ruined it!"

"He should've just kept his mouth shut-"

"ALRIGHT! THAT'S ENOUGH!" Chifuyu suddenly entered, silencing the classroom, "Maya, take five."

"Uh...yes, ma'am!" Maya ran out.

"In regards to the tournament prize for first place, I have been made fully aware by the incessant whispering being very clearly vocalized by the student and faculty bodies. That said, we can work out a compromise."

All the students listened in on what Chifuyu had to say.

"So..." Chifuyu sighed, "We'll keep the wager intact and apply it only to all who compete in the Year 1 tournament. Whoever wins first place will get to date any person who participated in the tournament."

The girls squealed with delight, seeing as how Ichika will no doubt participate. Their thoughts were filled with fantasies over how to spend their victory date.

"HOWEVER!" But Chifuyu grounded those fantasies to dust, "If Orimura were to somehow pull off the victory, then he gets sole decision over who he can take to the date. And none of you yahoos are allowed to influence his decision or interfere in his date in any way, shape, or form!"

"Does that include-"

"Especially that," Chifuyu growled.

Charles didn't want to risk her identity being revealed, so she raised her hand, "Miss Orimura? What if I don't want to go along with this wager?"

"All you have to do is win the tournament and say you don't want to date," Chifuyu said, "They'll pester you all they want, but there's nothing they can do."

The girls' hearts skipped a beat, in a bad way. That meant that they would have to put forth an amount of effort they never thought possible, just to secure their date with Ichika.

"So, whoever wins, that person's decision is final," Chifuyu reiterated, "Do I make myself clear?"

The girls grumbled, "Yes, ma'am..."

"I said, **DO I MAKE MYSELF CLEAR?!**"

The girls re-tried that acknowledgement, "Yes, ma'am!"

Maya suddenly barged in, "Miss Orimura! The core analysis is completed!"

"Just in time," Chifuyu departed, "Please resume class, Miss Yamada."

"Will do!" Maya waved and took the front, "Now, can anyone tell me~~~"

And thus began Lincoln's nightmare. First period was nothing but piercing stares and death glares.

Second period was physical education. More specifically, swimming.

"Pick it up, Loud!" The instructor yelled.

Lincoln was struggling with keeping up with the other students, when he suddenly pulled a calf muscle, "AGH! CRAMP IN THE RAMP!"

"Get over it, tattle man!" Someone shouted.

"I can't...gotta get out..." Lincoln tried to escape when he was shoved twice, causing him to extend his cramped leg, "AAAAAAGH!"

"Outta the way!" The swim instructor saw exactly who shoved him and got him out of the pool. She then laid his leg on some fresh towels and called for a student, "Sayuka Yorutake, come here."

"Yes, ma'am," the student didn't take two steps before-

"You and Aikawa, 30 laps in the pool! Now!"

The class shivered as the two shovers were forced to swim without stopping. But by then, word of the new wager placed on the tournament and who was to blame had spread across the school.

Third period was a math class. The students were trying to get several notes right into Lincoln's back, when the teacher called on him to solve a problem. But one of the students got over-excited and flung a note in his hair.

"Ay!" He yelped as the note scruffed his tuft.

"What's that in your hair?" The teacher immediately grabbed the note.

Lincoln tried to dissuade her from reading it, "Oh, uh... I rather not-" he saw her tear it in half "Oy!"

"Loud, study hour," the teacher declared, "Everyone else will follow me to the teachers' lounge. Miss Orimura will want to hear this."

Halfway through the period, Lincoln heard some shuffling and groaning noises and peeled out the window. He saw his teacher egging the rest of the class along for the jog, "2 laps in, and already you're tuckered out?! If you have the time to complain and write notes, then you have the time to do extra work!"

Everyone collapsed in comical fashion as the teacher assigned extra homework to those who did not finish five laps.

The period before lunch was about painting. Houki was with him in this class, and she couldn't help but feel distracted by the classmates flinging bits of paint at him and his canvas, all while he was trying to paint. When the art teacher walked in and observed the students' work, she came around to Lincoln's painting and saw a mess. Not only on the canvas, but on the floor around him.

"Loud, step outside," the teacher ordered. When he was gone, she shocked everyone with her next question, "Care to explain why his work area is splattered with watercolor?"

Five minutes later, the teacher came out and nudged Houki out of the room.

"What are they doing?" Lincoln asked.

"You and Shinonono have early extended lunch," the teacher explained, "Everyone else will clean up your blazer and your work area."

Later, outside on the rooftop...

"Wow..." Kim was fascinated by what happened to him, "They really were that petty..."

"Yep," Lincoln said, "And if that wasn't enough, look at the note I got right before second period." He gave Kim the note...

**Komm alleine in die Arena 4.**

"The cherry on top," Kim commented, "But this is exactly what you wanted, no?"

"Yeah, but just from her, not from literally everybody else...well, at least I don't have to worry about exerting too much effort."

"Heheh, I suppose not," Kim giggled before she noticed Houki solemnly staring at the rest of the campus, "Hey, What's she doing over there?"

"I don't know, but I am 'extrely curius'," Lincoln nudged Kim to follow him.

Houki was leaning against the railing, trying to come up with a valid reason for how an honest promise blossomed into an ugly parasitic story, "How...how did it get so out of control..." she closed her eyes, "The winner of the tournament gets to date Ichika, but only if the winner is me. It'll be different this time...it'll be different this time..."

"Uhhhh...difference was my life?"

"Uh, Loud?!" Houki swerved her head, "What are you doing here?!"

"You were talking out loud again," Kim snuck up behind her.

"I-what?!"

"By the way," Kim settled down on the railing beside her, "I saw you on the night of the room switch..."

_("I came to broker terms...If...if I win the tournament...you...YOU HAVE TO DATE ME!")_

"You saw..." Houki gasped.

"Yes. I don't suppose that story had anything to do with the rumor-turned-contest, would it?"

"Well, that's..." Houki stammered before she relented, as she did not want to endure the side effects of withholding her true feelings, "Ugh...There's a good reason why I made that promise..."

Lincoln approached Houki, "I...didn't ask for another background story, but...ok."

"Oh..." Houki sat down, "Well...remember how you figured out that I went into hiding for six years?"

"Yes," Lincoln and Kim dully blurted out.

"Well, that's because my sister created the IS," Houki started her story, "People saw it as a dangerous weapon that could easily be abused, and I was pulled into a protection program, moving my family place to place in secret. Before I knew it, I was living separately from my parents, and I didn't have a clue where my sister was."

"Guh..." Lincoln winced, "When did that happen?..."

"It was before the national kendo championship, so...during late elementary school?"

"Lincoln, control your mind," Kim Warner him against the connections game.

"I know," Houki continued, "but despite being under constant surveillance and continually asked questions about stuff I knew nothing about, I still kept up my kendo training because it was the only connection I have to Ichika."

_("My sisters have done some pretty impressive stuff to get in here...and then there's me.")_

Lincoln's mind played the connections game and somehow connected that to his skill set, being the jack of all trades but master of none. Kendo was the only thing keeping Houki from losing her sense of self. Lincoln felt like he already lost his and was trying to find it using the one thing he had a leg up on his sisters, "Kim, too late."

"Heh, yeah, it was too late for me," Houki bounced off of what he just muttered, "They say swordsmanship is a reflection of your inner self. Well, by the time I realized that, I had beaten up several...a lot of training partners to the point of emotional scarring. I was just using kendo to take out my frustrations on the world."

_("You might not have a reason. But I do!")_

_("YOU KNOW WHAT HAPPENS WHEN YOU MAKE LOLA MAD!")_

_("If you make us lose, Lincoln, you'll be an outcast!")_

_("You might as well throw your social life out the window!")_

_("It wasn't about strength or skill...it was raw violence and rage.")_

_("The key is to find something you're really good at, and it turns out for me that thing is...is taking a pie to the face.")_

And thus the game comes full circle. Lincoln was instantly reminded of how at the end of every single day that had something happen to him, he came to his room desperately needing to scream and shout and vent everything out. But something always prevented him from doing so, usually his sisters already venting out in another room.

But here in a new world he dared to venture into alone, there's literally nothing keeping him from venting out. Not even the Academy's rules and regulations could stop his venting. And the students here just gave him a hefty tank of gas.

"But this time is different for me," Houki said, "With this tournament, can I win? And can I do it without losing myself in the process?"

"Yes, You can!"

"Eh?"

"Ah, I mean..." Lincoln just sputtered it out without thinking, "I can't say anything about winning...but you can get through the tournament with your self intact!"

"What do you mean?"

"Truth be told, I didn't come here just to be a pilot...or to stop a cycle that I just found out can't be stopped. I actually came here to get away from something."

"I thought you had a good family," Kim said, "at least until...the incident."

"That's true, but so did she," Lincoln said, "I chose to pull myself out of the loop. Houki didn't have a choice." He turned to Houki, "Just take it easy, ok? One step at a time, but you do have to say something, anything to Ichika. At least until the tournament."

"Say something?" Houki repeated, "But... I have so many things mixed in me-"

Lincoln put his hand up, "Please try to relax a little bit. You need to know that it's all in the past..."

"Well...it-that-"

"Oh, I understand," Kim said, "It's too much for her to get it all out over time because of her scarred psyche."

"Hey, no! That's not it!" Houki protested.

"You'll be fine," Kim nudged her, "If you can't talk to Ichika, then surely you have friends you can talk to."

"But...well, I have been talking to Cecilia more and more recently. But I really want to talk to Ichika."

"Well, What a coincidence!" Rin-ing the moment! "So do I!" Rin said while lopping her elbow on Lincoln's shoulder.

"Uh-" Lincoln propped his arms on the ground to keep himself steady, "The heck are you doing here?!"

"Thought I'd check up on my little munchkin," Rin toyed with his cheek.

Lincoln pushed her away, "Your true intentions are not at all hidden."

"Aw! Am I that easy to read?..."

Suddenly, Cecilia entered the group, "Pretty clear as an open picture book, though Lincoln would give you a run for your money," and stared at him with eyes of vying.

"What are you all doing here?" Kim asked.

"Just wondering if Old Man Loud here's up for a practice match," Rin answered.

"That came outta nowhere!" Lincoln said.

"Yes, I am also curious to see how much he's improved since our last encounter," Cecilia stood right behind him, "You won't have any issue testing your mettle against mine, no?"

"Well, I have a-"

"Come on! What's the deal?!" Rin plopped herself on his head, but flipped herself over and stuck the landing when he tried to get her off.

"I'm fighting Laura after school today!" Lincoln shouted, "That's why!"

Houki, Rin, and Cecilia's spines tingled.

"Laura? Bodewig Laura?!" Houki exclaimed.

"That German brat who slapped you and Ichika?" Rin growled.

Lincoln knew they would mistake his coming battle as a chance for revenge, "I don't know what that has to do with it, but...sure?"

"Are you sure you're up to the task?" Cecilia asked, "I'm fairly certain that I would be more suited for your-"

"That's not what I'm worried about."

"Really?" Rin said, "'Cuz I'm more concerned about the fact that you said 'fighting', not 'battling'..."

"I can tell that Laura's heart is a nastily tangled up strand of blugh," Kim said, "I can see how a fight would ease a little bit of tension...if you can match her ferocity."

Lincoln suddenly flashed back to the "bullying" moments before he officially met Ronnie Anne, and the moments after he met Chandler; they had one thing in common, and it was the same thing that the students' retribution shared. "Oh, I got that covered," he said as he got up and left to prepare for the next period.

For Laura, it was an advanced combat training class. But for Lincoln, it was a free hour, meaning he had more than enough time to put his lightning rod to good use. And he didn't have to do anything except walk around the halls and listen in on the gossip circulating throughout the school:

"It's him."

"That's the guy that spoiled the tournament!"

"I bet he's spoiled that incident with the unmanned IS."

"Laura's his roommate? I feel sorry for her."

"How much you wanna bet that Squirrel Boy's fake?"

"Or better yet, that's one of his sisters!"

"Man, how did Ichika put us with this guy for three and a half months?!"

"They lived together before school started?!"

"Ugh, I cannot imagine that nightmare."

"He ain't the guy for girl advice or saving up, that's all I'm saying."

Lincoln could feel the rage building inside him. He wanted to scream. He wanted to confront the girls did him wrong today. But he knew that what he felt was nowhere near enough to survive the looming fight against a teenage supersoldier. "That's right...keep 'em coming..." he kept walking until it was time to dismiss for the day.

An hour and a half later, Lincoln was joined by Akina in holding area 4-4.

"This Lightning Rod protocol..." Akina said while running diagnostics on his IS, "... I think we're gonna have to make some tweaks..."

"Hey, it got me a one-on-one with Laura, didn't it?" Lincoln commented.

"Yeah, but she's the strongest in the German army. How on earth are you gonna compete with that?! We don't know anything about her IS!"

Lincoln had already formed a plan, "I'll just take a few hits and then go from there." Sort of.

"You know, this is making me wanna go for several face pies...Hello? Hey, Chain Linc?"

Lincoln didn't pay any mind to her from that point on. He just concentrated on the raw violent static power he had been gathering this past afternoon, bringing it to the forefront of his emotions and preparing himself to vent out for the first time ever.

Meanwhile, Houki was shuffling her feet towards Arena 4. She didn't know what it was about what Lincoln said in response to her struggles to maintain her own self, but his words have piqued her interest just enough to witness his own words in action.

"Oh? Miss Houki?" And Kim was tight alongside her, "What brings you to Arena 4?"

"Apparently, I'm gonna be taught a lesson..." Houki responded halfheartedly.

"What kind of lesson could an 11-year old and a German nut job teach?"

"I don't know why I bothered..." Houki saw Laura standing on the edge of 4-2, "Oh boy...there's her IS..."

"Very intimidating," Kim commented.

Back in the holding area, Lincoln had already deployed and was waiting for Akina's go-ahead.

"Schwarzer Regen, the German's prototype Gen3 model," Akina said, "Currently, it has no prospect for mass production, which is why Laura has been chosen to test it out in Japan."

"And ironically," Lincoln added, "I just might be the case that greenlights it for her."

"Hadn't thought about that..." Akina giggled, "Anyway, that cannon is all we know. Allow yourself to take the first hit, but get away from her right after."

"Got it," Lincoln closed his eyes and brought forth all the rage he had stored inside him. Then, he walked toward the open field.

"What? No catchphrase today?" Akina quipped.

"I'm fighting against my roommate," Lincoln sighed, "What can be said right before I punch kick a girl my height." He then jumped into the arena floor at the same moment when Laura floated out to meet his gaze.

There were many spectators who were witnessing a pivotal moment, in that the two black sheep of the first year students were about to face off. And most of them couldn't be any more jovial:

"Come on, Laura! Kick his scrawny little behind!"

"Shut him up for good this time!"

Houki was distracted by those shouts of rage, "Definitely reading too deep into this..."

"Pay attention, Houki," Kim said, "You're about to see what happens when you keep everything bottled up inside you."

Even though the stands were emitting shouts to demoralize Lincoln, none of them ever went past the invisible barrier separating the students from certain death. It was just Lincoln and Laura in the silent open.

LAURA BODEWIG (15) — SCHWARZER REGEN (SHIELD 100%)

LINCOLN LOUD (11) — SAVVY SUITE (SHIELD 137%)

And Laura drew first words, "I don't know how you were able to commandeer an IS, but whatever foul methods you used will not help you now!"

"I already told you, I ran into it," Lincoln drooped, "What more do I have to do to get you to stop with the prickly words?..."

"You're four years too early to think that you stand a chance of being my equal! What makes you think-"

Lincoln had enough and took off after her. Laura had barely managed to stop talking when he flew at her at full speed. When he was inches away from punching her out-

"BGAK!" all of a sudden, he was completely frozen. He was trapped in suspended animation, all due to a barrier emitting from her right hand, "Rrgh...can't...move..."

This was the first time Laura was caught off guard. She genuinely did not expect him to take the initiative and launch a preemptive strike. What surprised her even was that it was nothing more than a simple bombrush. No one in her army company would even think about flying at her so recklessly in a fight...

...unless they needed firsthand experience with an enemy they knew nothing about. And when recon is needed about a certain enemy...

"That's new," She just realized that her act of using her Active Inertia Canceling barrier told him everything he needed to know.

"Puh?!"

"You rushed me just to take the hit, didn't you?" Laura figured him out, "This first exchange would give you all the information you needed to develop a counterattack against my arsenal."

"Wuhhh?..." Lincoln sidetracked after the first five words, "I'll just assume you knew what I was going to do..."

Laura...smiled...uh-oh, "I'll admit... it is not something that I would normally do."

"Oh," he quipped, "Well, I do that on the daily."

"Too bad for you..." She readied her railgun and aimed at him, "...you will not see the AIC again." The moment her railgun finished charging, she released her barrier and fired point blank at him.

SAVVY SUITE — SHIELD 109/137%

Just the bullet itself dealt a huge amount of damage to Lincoln's IS, but the impact afterwards sent him flying across the floor and smacking himself into the wall, "AAAAAAAAAAAA-PLBGH!"

SAVVY SUITE — SHIELD 99/137%

He winced from the shock, then slid off and teetered twice before he was able to regain his composure, "Ow-ok... I got her attention...What do I do next?..." He readied a pair of cards while Laura revealed a pair of arm-mounted beam sabers, "Uh-oh indeed." He stood up just as Laura was walking towards him.

"Now come, Lincoln Loud," Laura said, "Show me your power," as she fired on him.


	18. Lightning Rod Lincoln (Part 2)

While the match between Laura and Lincoln was underway, Rin was spending time in Arena 3. She had in her mind to work on her long range accuracy to try and drown out something Lincoln said...

_("I'm fighting Laura after school today!")_

_("Oh, I got that covered.")_

"Ehhhh, I'm sure there's a moral in there somewhere," she scratched her head, not knowing whether he would rage out or not, given the current talk of the school, "or a cruel gotcha message..."

"What's this?" Cecilia walked into the floor area, "A bit of after school tutoring? And here I thought I would be the first one to arrive."

Rin saw a golden opportunity to distract herself and settle a tiny grudge, "I'm just getting a little extra training so I can beat losers like you in the tournament. What are you doing here?"

"The same as you actually, except I'll win."

The flames have been lit.

"You wanna back up that fat mouth?" Rin said, "Why don't we just see who's the best out of the two of us, right here and now?"

"Fine by me," Cecilia taunted, "but if you're in the game of a contest of strength and elegance, I do believe that I outrank you in both arenas."

"Uh-huh, and are you sure you're not going off of your overly huge monstrosity of a haircut?"

"Tarty, tarty, is the maiden of the ironing board."

'Ohhhh, so this is what he meant,' Rin thought as she was spiked with a surge of rage from Cecilia's remark, "I guess I should thank you."

"What for?"

"For giving me the fuel I need to beat your stale ass!" Rin shouted as she deployed her Shenlong, which prompted Cecilia to deploy her Blue Tears.

Back in the main buildings, Ichika and Charles were having major difficulty warding off some of the whispering. No matter what he told the other students, the response was always the same: that he should just accept that the bet is on. And maybe pretend to throw the match...

"My hearing is a lot better than they think," Ichika groaned, "Man, I dunno what's going through their brains..."

"Maybe we should give them time to cool off?" Charles suggested, "You know how high schoolers are with gossip."

"What's gotten them so bored that they need to gossip everyday?..."

Just then, a couple students ran past them:

"Three Representative Contenders are having practice matches right now!"

"Yeah! I can't wait to see that German girl mop the floor with that albino!"

"I think the match between Fan and Alcott would be more interesting."

Ichika smacked his forehead, "He really went through with it..."

"Let's offer our strength to him," Charles suggested.

"Good idea," Ichika grabbed Charles's hand and ran them off to Arena 4. He happened upon the spot where Houki and Kim were sitting, "Houki? What's happening?"

"I don't know..." was all she said.

Ichika wondered what exactly she meant, until a huge shot misfired and hit the barrier in front of them. That drew the crowd's attention to Lincoln, who flew towards Laura while flinging as many card bombs as he could at her and shrugging off a shot to his shoulder.

SAVVY SUITE — SHIELD 84/137%

Lincoln kept throwing cards at Laura from a distance until he saw a chance to sneak in a CQC scuffle. But no matter how many cards or punches he threw, none of them connected. All his cards were either swatted away or outright avoided, and all his close-up assaults were met with extremely fierce resistance, either by prolonged struggle or a quick German martial art demonstration. But for all of the five minutes of wasted effort, he never got hit with her railgun, nor did she once use her wire daggers.

Not that it mattered, because Lincoln was just rolled back out of her CQC range after another saber-based takedown, and was immediately bombarded with railgun fire which he barely managed to avoid, "SON OF A RAILGUN, WOMAN!"

SAVVY SUITE — SHIELD 64/137%

"Strange," Laura muttered while firing at him, "The Savvy Suite was not built for this kind of combative vigor. And yet..."

"I gotta throw her off someh-UGH!" Lincoln mumbled, opening up the perfect moment for a stray shot to hit his foot, causing him to spin uncontrollably and spray card bombs everywhere.

This, Laura couldn't completely avoid. She briefly strayed left and right before using her wire daggers to counter several incoming cards. Then, she immediately caught his spinning kick, but had to let go of him because of a narrowly avoided card bomb that flew in under his leg. She sent her wire daggers after him, but he successfully avoided being tangled in their grasp. He closed ranks again and tried to throw a couple punches, but she slashed at both his arms and returned a kick, only to have that blocked. He readied two cards and aimed for her neck, but she caught him in her wire daggers and knocked him back with a saber attack. He skidded backward and landed on one knee to avoid completely collapsing.

"Damn," Laura said, "His compatibility with the IS almost rivals mine..."

SCHWARZER REGEN — SHIELD 95/100%

SAVVY SUITE — SHIELD 39/137%

"C'est incroyable..." Charles whispered.

"What is it?" Ichika asked.

"I didn't think he could hold his own against someone like her..."

"But He isn't," Kim said, "Look closely at his face."

Charles took one look at Lincoln, and promptly turned away, "Eh, I'd rather not..."

"Why?" Ichika asked, "It's not like he-" and he saw it too.

Lincoln somehow conjured a massive wave of anger and allowed it to surge through his body, rejuvenating his willpower and allowing him to get back on his feet with ease.

"Knock him down already!" A student shouted, "He shouldn't be getting back up, so knock him down!"

"What's with these people?..." Kim commented.

"Finish him! Finish him!"

"Maybe I shouldn't be so laid back on them," Ichika thought.

"Just a...little more..." Lincoln thought, "I need that barrier out again..."

"Hmph...to call something with that kind of finishing a third generation is a joke," Laura smirked, "I thought you would have realized by now how pointless it is to deny your place."

"Call me a bit of an idiot," Lincoln panted, "but if I'm already losing, then what's the point of me giving up?" He assumed his signature pose and readied a full hand, "Don't start what you can't finish, amirite?"

"Fine," Laura said, "If that is your wish..." she withdrew her sabers and came at him at full speed, "...then I shall render you impotent and remind you of the difference between us!"

"Why that word..." Lincoln threw his cards at her, forcing her to sidestep the damage and averting a direct assault.

Laura changed course and circled around him while releasing her wire daggers. Lincoln knew what she would do with them and flew after her, ducking under every magenta thing in his way until he was within arm's reach of the Schwarzer Regen. But she was able to lock him down and push him away, after which one of the wire daggers wrapped itself around his legs. She gave him one spin around before she was about to slam him on the ground, but mid spin he was able to grab the wire and yank himself out of a ground collision. The force of the swing provided enough momentum to get him past the rest of the wires and right up in Laura's reach, something she did not expect him to pull off. She was quick to block his punch, but she was being pushed across the floor, so she unsheathed one of her arm sabers to push him off. Lincoln narrowly dodged her strike and flipped under her, managing to slow himself down just enough to plant his feet on the barrier without cracking it. Laura, however, easily regained control of her IS and immediately fired her railgun on him. He jumped off right after touching the barrier and leaped over the bullet, flinging a pair of cards at her before landing.

At that instant, Lincoln's frustration reached its peak. "Fine," He reached behind his back, "Borrow this!" On command, his wing units merged together to form a makeshift shield. When he pulled his arm out, his shield followed it right into Laura's left hook. From then on, Lincoln did his best to stay within her CQC range, waiting for the right moment to call Strong Suit out for a one-combo-kill.

"What is going on with her?!" A student shouted, "Why can't she finish it already?!"

"Are they really that needy?..." Ichika muttered.

"I don't think we should talk with anyone after this..." Charles suggested.

While the other students were calling for the fight to wrap up, one student in particular wasn't too keen on rallying behind the crowd. Hana had snuck her way inside area 4-4, "Um, Akina?"

"Oh, hey, Hana," Akina said, "What brings you here?"

"I heard that Lincoln was taking on a Representative Contender," Hana walked over to her, "so I wanted to see how he was doing."

"Lemme guess...you heard everything the others were saying about him?"

"Yeah."

"Well..." Akina pointed to the open field, where Lincoln and Laura were wreaking massive havoc...Lincoln more so because of the anger he built up throughout the day, "I'd say he's doing fine..."

"Does he get this angry?!" Hana yelped right after seeing him failing to swipe a right hook across Laura's face.

"Nuh-uh."

Houki was tempted to turn away. Seeing Lincoln lash out for this long kept reminding her of how she lashed out at her opponents during kendo practice. The difference between them was that he was powerless against someone who was trained to be a fighting machine, while Houki was a fighting machine who showed those who practiced kendo exactly how powerless they were. But the causes were the same: emotional anxiety.

"Houki?" Kim checked on her.

Houki gritted her teeth and kept silent.

On the field, Lincoln was keeping pace with Laura's movements, but he still couldn't find a good window of opportunity to strike. The wire daggers flung at him again, only for him to yank himself over to Laura's position.

"You're not one to fight with this much vigor," Laura muttered mid battle, "What brings you this much power?"

"Oh, this ain't my power," Lincoln grunted, "I borrowed it from them."

Laura locked elbows with him, "What do you mean, borrowed?"

"You should've heard some of the things they said about me," Lincoln swatted away, "They said I spoiled the school rotten!...that I spited my family!..." his attacks kept getting blocked "I hear talk that I stuffed my sister in the costume in the summer sun!" And he was thrown back out, "And that's just in the IS Academy!" He flung his shield at her and used the momentary distraction to get back in her CQC range and engage in another scuffle, "Imagine all the nasty gossip back at home! Or when they're not in your face! Or worse!" He was so caught up in the fight that he actually caught her arm and unleashed a blitz attack, "Hearing your own family ridicule you for taking the fall on their behalf!" And somehow he was able to get in a couple punches and a shield uppercut. But Laura flipped over to his back and kicked him away from her.

SCHWARZER REGEN — SHIELD 89/100%

SAVVY SUITE — SHIELD 28/137%

"I need to do something..." Houki stood up and left the arena, but she couldn't bring herself to take her eyes off the fight, so she fled to area 4-4.

"A nonlinear thinker who relies on emotion," Laura muttered, "I would call you a fool," as she prepped her railgun to fire again, "but you have already proven you cannot be underestimated!"

"What the-" Lincoln caught his shield just in time to block several of her shots, each one backing him further away from Laura. It wasn't until the seventh shot when he decided to make his move. The moment he took off after her, the wire daggers came after him, "GET YOUR TENTACLES OFF ME, PAGAN WOMAN!"

"You lose yourself in the fight," Laura noted, "Instead of attempting to control it, you merely guide its current towards its destination without the least bit of tension!"

Lincoln managed to knock all the daggers away and tried to spin slam his shield against her, but Laura easily knocked it away and pinned him against a wire. But she didn't try to slam him down. Instead, she simply threw him on the ground skidding out of her reach, and threw her right hand behind her. Her AIC barrier was projected again.

SAVVY SUITE — SHIELD 11/137% (WARNING)

And it suspended Strong Suit.

STRONG SUIT — SHIELD 14/15%

"Aw man!" Strong Suit yelled, "I didn't even get a swing or a miss!"

Back in the stands, Ichika's group was at a loss for words with what they just saw.

"No way..." Ichika said, "How did she stop her from moving?"

"That's an AIC!" Charles exclaimed.

"AIC? What's that mean?"

"Active Inertia Canceller cancels all Inertia. Any object the user projects that barrier on will cease all movement."

"Oh..." Ichika nodded, but then an unsettling thought crossed his mind, "Wait, why hasn't she used it earlier?..."

"... I don't know..." Charles looked on as the fight was brought to a temporary halt.

Strong Suit was quite literally hanging from a bar, "Come!...On!...Get!...Off!..."

Lincoln was dazed from the previous hit, but he was conscious enough to see how helpless Strong Suit was. He felt a new wave of emotions surge through his body. He used that energy to grab his wings and fly over to Laura.

"Clever of you to try and exhaust me..." Laura aimed her railgun at Strong Suit, "...but insufficient."

"NO!" The moment Laura fired, Lincoln was directly in front of her. The bullet bounced off his wing shield and exploded back on her face.

_("Clyde, get help! Get everyone here!")_

SCHWARZER REGEN — SHIELD 71/100%

SAVVY SUITE — SHIELD 5/137% (CRITICAL)

But that didn't stop him or his sporty sidekick. The split second that dazed Laura was all they needed.

"Two of a kind!"

Strong Suit loaded up a 1000-lb barbell and swung at Laura twice, upward to buy Lincoln time to separate his shield back into wing units, and downward to disable Laura's evasion. Lincoln then rushed a punch and a kick, then threw several card bombs and her, allowing Strong Suit to clock destroy the railgun.

"Double trouble!"

Laura was swept off her feet, right into a pounding from the back and a hammer kick on the front. She was bounced upward, giving her time to send her wire daggers after them. But Lincoln and Strong Suit stood their ground and yanked the wires down, reeling Laura to them.

"PAIR OF CLUBS!" They slammed their fists at the black IS, only to be blocked by its sabers. Lincoln knew better than to stop, as he snuck a card to Laura's right thigh.

_("What are you-Are you crazy?! You'll get hurt!")_

Strong Suit knocked Laura off her feet, giving Lincoln a clear opening to launch his special attack.

"Pick a card!" He pelted her with the first barrage of punches, "Pick 'em all!" He kicked her upward and sent two of his cards to her mounted sabers. When he saw them break, "52 CARD PICKUP!" he flung the remainder of his deck at her, pushing her beneath the floor and making a small crater in the center of the arena.

SCHWARZER REGEN — SHIELD 32/100%

The entire crowd was stunned. They just witnessed a scary moment in history. In just one very..._very_ swift maneuver, the youngest pilot in the world managed to take away more than half the shield of arguably the strongest pilot in the first-year class. And he did it using their own words... their own condescending rumors.

"Ugh..." Lincoln himself was drained, physically and emotionally. He floated back down to the floor and collapsed on all fours. He had the displeasure of fighting through yet another flashback, one that revealed to him something that was unnecessary, borderline repulsive to him, "What was that?...Did I take a bullet before?..."

Strong Suit ran to him and tried to hoist him up, "Hey! Get up, man! We're not done!"

"Suit..." Lincoln panted, "Did we get her?..."

Suddenly, Laura hovered a few inches above them, losing her hardened demeanor and going back to her unemotional side, "Are you finished?"

Strong Suit panicked, "Uhhhh...I'm gonna say yes to both questions..."

"Well, then," Laura sent her wire daggers after the both of them, "My turn."

_("And if I don't, she'll get killed!")_

Lincoln knocked Strong Suit out of the way, unintentionally rendering her unconscious. The wire daggers that went after her changed targets to where he took all 6 wires.

STRONG SUIT — SHIELD 11/15%

Lincoln was brought before Laura, his limbs bound to the black IS. She took a moment to examine him in all his weariness. Then, she proceeded to beat the ever-loving-crap out of him. Just a few punches in, and she had drained whatever was left of his shield energy, and it looked like she didn't plan on stopping.

SAVVY SUITE — SHIELD 0 (EMPTY) — **EXTENDED DAMAGE INCURRED; ****IS MANDATORY UNLOCK HAS BEEN ACTIVATED **

"THE MATCH IS CONCLUDED. THE WINNER IS LAURA BODEWIG."

"Sacre bleu! What is she doing?!" Charles shouted.

"I think she's got a grudge against him," Ichika thought, "Why else would she..."

"His IS Mandatory Unlock has already kicked in!" Kim ran to Ichika's side, "If the damage doesn't stop, she'll kill him!"

"I think it might already be too late..." Charles worried.

"Dangit..." Ichika ran to the barrier and banged on the solid plasma screen, "Laura! Stop!"

Laura didn't hear him. She just kept pummeling Lincoln until his body armor, gauntlets, and leg guards shattered. And even then, she wouldn't stop. It took a stray card that materialized without the use of a hand. The moment she finished a punch and wound up for another, he prepped a card. He let it drop only when she punched him again; Lincoln was able to get enough distance between him and Laura to where the card's explosions wouldn't reach him. Laura on the other hand was reeled backwards, and Lincoln kicked her back further, forcing her to withdraw her wire daggers for the moment. But it was only for a moment because she got him again with the AIC, before he could get off his knees.

"So naive," Laura taunted, "And here I thought you would be more than..." she released the daggers on him again "...a mere dog."

Just when he was about to get caught again, a 100-lb dumbbell flew by him. It passed directly through the AIC barrier and slammed into Laura's gut, sending her flying halfway across the floor.

"Huh?..." Lincoln breathed, "Who... was..."

"Yo..." Strong Suit limped over to Lincoln looking more injured than usual, "I get why, but maybe gimme a warning next time..."

"What happened to you..."

"I had to get help."

STRONG SUIT — SHIELD 3/15% (CRITICAL)

NIGHT CLUB — SHIELD 4/18% (CRITICAL)

HIGH CARD — SHIELD 4/20% (CRITICAL)

Indeed, because right after that line was said, Laura was back on her feet, blasting towards the pair. But an obnoxious electric guitar sound halted her flight and sent her backward. When the sound stopped, she was suddenly bounced upward into a girl in purple. Laura tried to project her AIC, but it was disabled by a flashlight from another girl's cellphone, leaving her wide open to a sonic boom slamming her back in the ground, and a guitar pounding her deeper before recoiling the player off her.

SCHWARZER REGEN — SHIELD 26/100%

"High Card! Night Club! Surround her!" Strong Suit ordered.

Laura steadied herself back on her feet, only to find herself surrounded by four people.

"Your choice, LaBo," Night Club growled, "Get out of our face, or go head first into the ground."

Laura examined each of the three girls, and then Lincoln. They were all still raring to fight, despite the beat down he received. Him especially, because he had two hands of cards ready to go should she choose to continue. She just scoffed and floated back to area 4-2.

"*SIGH* Thanks for the heads up, Suit," High Card relaxed.

"Anything to get us out of this game," Strong Suit scratched her head.

"Speaking of, where's Ace?" Night Club walked to the pair, "Why didn't he call us sooner-" Just then, they heard two thuds coming from Lincoln. "Oooh, that's bad."

"Yep," High Card said right before running to him, "Hey! We need some help here!"

"I have him," Akina floated down in a training IS and grabbed Lincoln, "You hanging in there, champ?"

"I'm hanging by a moment 'cuz a moment's all I got..." Lincoln groaned, right before his three sidekicks fizzled out of existence.

"Come on," Akina airlifted him out of the arena, "There's a nice cold milkshake waiting for you..."

Fifteen minutes later, Lincoln had been placed in the infirmary, and his team was sprawled out across the cold metal floor of holding area 4-4 while the Savvy Suite was taken into a repair dock.

Akina had just finished chugging a sports drink, "*GLUG*GLUG*GLUG*GULP* Ahhhhhhh... I tell you..." She leaned against the wall, "Nothing beats a good workout like an ice cold replenisher."

Meanwhile, Houki was shivering by the door, outright shook. Never had she ever seen two perfect representations of raw anger and violence clash against each other in mortal combat. It was like seeing two sides of herself fight for control of her body, and the bad side had infected the good side to the point where she couldn't tell the difference between the two. She didn't want to believe that she could have turned out like either of them, but seeing Lincoln thrash at Laura to no avail really made her forget about winning, forget about Ichika. The real question was whether she would give into her dark side when she faces off against a fellow student.

She couldn't even talk to one of his acquaintances, "Um..."

"Yo," Akina sat down beside her.

"Why aren't you in the repair room?..."

"Maya's working on it right now. She can fix it better than me."

"Oh..."

"I'm more interested in why Linc didn't call his posse until the absolute last minute."

"Maybe he has some kind of struggle within himself..."

"See, that's the closest reason. I could've sworn he got over it before he came here. Pftt, lo and behold, he keeps getting dragged back to square one. I can't claim to know what he's going through... but, goddamn...some days, I wish he could just forget. Forget it all. Can't feel emotionally constipated if you don't know why you're emotionally exhausted, right?"

"What...That's not how it's supposed to work..."

"Hey, it's just wishful thinking," Akina noticed Maya walk out of the repair dock, "So, Uh...how bad is it?..."

Maya shook her head, "The damage reading on his IS is far beyond level D; it's the worst this Academy has seen. I'm afraid it'll be a couple weeks before the Suite is fully repaired."

"A couple...like two weeks or three?"

"Hopefully, two. If it's three, then he may have to sit out this tournament."

"Yikes..." Akina winced, "Maybe I should break the news to him-"

"No, allow me," Houki stood up and walked out, "There's something I need to give him."

"Um, ok, sure...just...Ichika and Charles will be with him, so..."

Houki walked out to find Lincoln. She racked her brain trying to come up with what to say to relax him, when she happened upon Rin and Cecilia-

"I did not lose!" -contesting the practice match that was Rin's loss, "I just felt sorry for you not having a childhood friend, so I went easy on you!"

"Please, your attempts to over exaggerate your meager abilities thus far have been for naught," Cecilia flaunted her hair, "I cannot possibly imagine any other result, though I'm sure you inhaled some kind of polluted-"

"SHUT UP SHUT UP SHUT UP SHUT UP! Quit your stupid rambling! No wonder Ichika couldn't understand a single word you said!"

"As if your "feelings" were of any help to him. Or you, for that matter."

"Grrrr..." One of Rin's nerves snapped, "Rematch this weekend. Get up bright and early so I can beat you down."

"I'm more than happy to oblige," Cecilia got in her face, "but I'm warning you now: you will still lose."

"We'll see about that! HMPH!" Rin walked away. When she crossed Houki's path, she dragged Houki down by the collar to her eye level, "I don't know how you can stand this blondie because she is SO DAMN INFURIATING!" She then let go and walked away.

"Uh...huh..." Houki stared at Rin stomping her way back to the dorms.

"Pay no mind to the cheap Twintail over there," Cecilia said, "She's had her pride hurt all over."

"Yeah..." Houki suddenly realized that Cecilia and Rin just finished a practice battle "um, I have a favor to ask."

"Oh? And what would that be?"

"I...I wanna battle you tomorrow."

"Well..." Cecilia was a bit taken aback, "that's quite a tall order, even for the Creator's offshoot," until she wasn't, "Are you sure you can hold a candle to me in a training-"

"IT'S NOT THAT!-Uh..." Houki caught herself bursting into anger just in time, "Ahem...it's not that... I just need to get through a battle without...without losing myself in the process..."

"Oh my..." Cecilia immediately deciphered those words, "Did Lincoln put on another vengeful spectacle?"

"Very..."

"And let me guess...he has been sent to the infirmary."

"Yep."

"Oh, alright," Cecilia groaned, "Come along, Miss Houki," and she led Houki to where Lincoln was being held, "If he has calmed down enough, we might be able to convince him to join us. I'm sure he has plenty to say."

"Not likely..." Houki followed her, "The damage is the worst Maya has seen. His IS could take more than a couple weeks to repair."

"Uh...I forget, who was his partner this past afternoon?"

"Laura Bodewig. The girl who tried to slap Ichika twice. And tried to fire a big gun at him."

"Oh, her...well, I hope he was able to at least get a few good licks in."

"He was...he pelted her for more than two-thirds of her shield energy."

For some reason, Cecilia was haunted by that notion. To think that someone could stand a chance against an already established angry bowl of vanity, "...So, that's all..."

In the infirmary, Lincoln was staring at the ceiling contemplating the recent fight. Not only did he burn off every single bit of angry rage burn on a very futile battle, but he did it in front of the group that didn't see him fight Rin. Plus several other students. If he had to gauge his current standing with the rest of the class, he wouldn't have merely thrown his social life out the window; he would've smashed it into dust, ate it, vomited it out, dumped it in the trash bin, and incinerated it.

Not that it mattered to him in the slightest, "I lost myself again...Dangit, what am I gonna do..."

His train of thought was interrupted by the door opening to reveal Houki and Cecilia.

"Oh..." he muttered, "You guys heard the news?..."

"About the sheer vicious rage of the battle?" Cecilia said, "The whispering was enough of a source."

"Miss Yamada said your IS will be out for two weeks," Houki said.

"Two weeks?!" Lincoln freaked out, "What am I gonna do during that time?!"

"You could try something with those people who wanted that bet," Cecilia suggested, "though I doubt they hold a candle to a Representative Contender."

"I'm not worried about that right now..."

"Well, you ought to be. Those girls have designated you as public enemy number one. They're going to do whatever it takes to make sure you don't see the tournament."

"Smart thinking. But I'm a crafty man. I'll find workarounds."

Cecilia chuckled.

But Houki didn't. She really did think his family and classmates back home tried to do him in multiple times. She walked over to his bed and placed an envelope on his belly.

"What's this?" Lincoln asked.

"Just take it."

"Um...ok," Lincoln opened the envelope and found, "Oh...ohohoho, no..." twelve thousand yen, "You didn't actually-"

Houki was gone by the time he opened it.

"What in the..." Cecilia darted off, "You can't run away so easily!"

"Hey-o!" Ichika dodged her dash by ducking behind the door, "Huh... not like her to ignore me..." When the room was cleared of her presence, he walked over to Lincoln, "Did something happen?"

"Houki just gave me 12,000 yen..."

"Really?! The heck did that come from?"

"Fancy seeing you in a hospital bed, Lincoln," Charles greeted.

"This ain't the first time either;" Lincoln laughed, "I think I'm gonna accommodate myself here."

Charles saitndown beside him, "Come now, you cannot keep putting yourself in harm's way for the sake of...info, is that right?"

"He's right," Ichika said, "Sooner or later, you really are going to do yourself in with this Lightning Rod thing."

"*SIGH...* I guess your right..." Lincoln conceded, "Though if it's any consolation... I found out a lot about that...that, uhhhh..."

"AIC," Charles said, "Active Inertia Canceller. It basically stops anything from moving."

"As in, 60 to 0 in less than half a second," Ichika added.

"If that's the case, then why can I still throw one liners and gun puns?" Lincoln got a small chuckle from the two. And they in turn airlifted Lincoln out of the infirmary and back to 1025.

While Lincoln was being carried out of bed, Lynn was still lying in bed. The night before, she came out of a win which only claimed a spot in the UIL tournament, meaning even more games to come. And yet her teammates never let go of her recent soccer loss. The only reason they dialed down on the ramming was because Lynn had to pull a sacrificial play: she passed the ball to someone else, saw a giant thug blazing down the field gunning for the ball, and ran to take the tackle. Then, after the win, she was notified that the bracket has been set up...with Royal Woods and Hazeltucky on opposite ends.

"I got a huge climb..." Lynn muttered, "Dangit, what am I gonna do..."

But an ear-deafening argument shook the house awake.

Starting with Rita, "YOU USED YOUR OWN BROTHER AS A WHAT NOW?!"

Lola, "It's true! And Leni was dressing him up as a-"

"Lola, you were the one who came up with that crazy plan in the first place! Behind my back! What the hell has gotten into you?!"

And Lori, "Lincoln was drowning us out with his ear bud things!"

"That's not a reason to-no, there is NO GOOD REASON to use him as a foot mop!"

"But, Mom! It was just a-"

"And Lola, your temper has clearly infected the rest of the family! It's always an absolution with you, isn't it?!"

"Abso-wuh?"

"Don't look at me, Lols! This is on you!"

"I'll return a TOUSHY TURN OF A PAYBACK FIST, lady!"

"Both of you, stop! No wonder Lincoln wanted to go to Japan!" Rita could be heard stomping up the staircase, "Lucy! Oh god, where is she?...LUCY!"

"Welp..." Lynn groaned, "Time to roll...Ugh-ooooooh, tingly mingly..." That headache she had since coming home has gotten worse.

Lisa and Clyde suddenly barged in, "Lynn!"

"Oh, hey guys..." Lynn winced at the sound of the door opening.

"Don't "Hey" me!" Clyde griped, "You got volleyball today!" He tried to nudge her out of bed, "You gotta make time and hightail it down there now!"

"I agree," Lisa closed the door, "And we must make haste, lest we-"

"POP, WHAT?!"

Lynn Sr broke the news that Luna and Luan's ventures have been halted.

"It's final."

"You can't do this!"

"I won't have my business halted by some measly _pun_ishment! Hahaha-" SMACK! "-AGH!"

"Your little "unspoken" stunt has made its rounds in my workplace! Everyone's out for blood now that he's a pilot! And they're going to blame you!"

"But he chose to do it!"

"Only because you didn't tell him to stop it!"

"But it's unspo-"

"If you say that word again, so help me I will smash _your_ tapes with _your_ puppet!...Never mind...where's Lana?"

Lynn gulped, "They're really letting them have it, huh?..."

"Safe to say, the parental units have the sole escape route blocked off..." Lisa rubbed her forehead.

"Wait," Clyde went over to the small circular window, "Didn't you guys have a-" he lifted up one of Lincoln's posters to reveal an emergency cord behind it. When he pulled down, an emergency escape slide formed just outside Lincoln's window, "Wow. Convenience!"

"Uh, I don't know about this..." Lynn seemed hesitant to duck her parents at this early in the morning.

"We have no choice," Lisa said as she and Clyde hoisted her up, "Please Keep your arms and legs inside at all times."

"Wha-" Lynn was tossed out the window and onto the slide, "AAAAAaAaAaAaAaAaAaAaA-Ooogh..." She rolled down to the bottom, "Gonna cake the next-Margo?"

"Hey," Margo helped Lynn up.

"Ugh...what are you doing here?"

"Making sure you get to school in one piece. Sounds like a party in there."

"Understatement of the year...heh, at least tomorrow's a free day," Lynn chuckled as she was dragged away into Margo's family van, where Margo's mother was waiting to transport her to school, and her next trial.


	19. The Lightning Before the Thunder

After another questionable night's sleep in which the most recent flashback kept repeating throughout the night, Lincoln was awoken by the most disturbing emails he's seen so far:

**It finally happened... in my opinion, I don't know why it didn't happen sooner. I went to school today, and the very first greeting I got was, "Hey there, lesbo queef." At gym class, I got weird smooches from guys and gross eyes from the girls. And if that wasn't enough, this one dude said, "Does your sister seriously use your brother as a footstool? Where can I get a manslave of my own?" Bro, this is only gonna get worse...**

**-Lunes**

**Salutations, male sibling prime. I thought you would like to know that Lynn has secured a victory for the Royal Woods middle school volleyball and football teams, meaning she will be participating in both tournaments, meaning that Clyde and I _may _have to develop non traditional sports medicine to make sure she doesn't falter, much like how our other siblings faltered due to the schools' knowledge of our misappropriation of intentions.**

**-Lancy Lisa**

**What in the Sand Hell is going on?! What did you spill to your friends?! Literally every single person at school is asking me if your back felt good for my feet, or if your belly felt good for our knuckles! You and I have some very clear issues to work out.**

**-Literally_Lori**

Right before class began, the trio were crowded around Lincoln's desk.

"I don't know, man," Lincoln said, "With each passing day, I feel like I'm taking a step backwards. Like, I'm trying to drop off this crap at the ends of existence, but...yeesh, What's it gonna take?"

"I don't suppose anyone younger than you might have an answer?" Ichika asked.

"Nope, and I know what Lisa would say...ask the people I saw in the flashbacks...who are probably gonna clam up like Leni."

"Is there any way you can cope without them? Maybe distract yourself with something else?" Charles suggested, "Like your battle record, for example. Have you ever won a solo fight?"

"Nuh-uh," Lincoln groaned, "I'm 0 for 4 now. And that last one probably cost me my social future." He saw various students entering the classroom, averting their faces from his eyes as they crossed his sight, "I'm too out-of-it to think of a bad luck pun..."

"Maybe a training session would help," Charles saw Maya entering, "We'll talk later."

"Everyone get ready!" Maya said, "Homeroom will be starting in a few minutes, and the test will be right after!"

"Hey, mind me talking with Houki for a bit?" Ichika asked.

"Oh, no, go ahead," Lincoln said, giving him at least a good silent minute to plan the rest of his day.

Which was interrupted...rather quickly...by the feeling of a optical laser burning a hole in his right ear, "Ow-do you mind-BPH!"

Laura was standing next to him. Her eye alone set off multiple red alerts in his mind.

"Uh...M-morning, Laura..." Lincoln waved, "How do you-"

"Despicable," was all she gave him before she walked to her seat.

"Wow," Akina was right behind her, "What'd you do?"

"I gave her the room," Lincoln joked, "I thought she'd like the oneness."

"That's...you fled her "judgement" again? You're a survivor, you know that?"

"It's a step up from getting swollen cheeks."

And a big step it was. The rest of the day could be summarized as: Whenever Lincoln needed help with a problem, no one was willing, and his acquaintances didn't share any of his main classes, so he could only rely on himself. He could've asked Laura for help, but she thought these assignments were far beneath her, and she made it very clear how she felt about him...even though he wasn't told what made him despicable.

After school training was a bit unusual. Lincoln took Charles's suggestion and went to Arena 2. He had to use the Uchigane since the Suite was out of commission. But when he hopped out on the field, "Kim?!"

"Pleasure meeting you, Lincoln," Kim was inside a model similar to the Uchigane, only it had a staff that could double as a bow.

"Wow," Charles said, "It's not easy for a first year to befriend a third year."

"Well, It wasn't that hard."

"Um, ok," Lincoln approached them, "So, where's Ichika?"

"I'm here!" Ichika joined him, "So, What's the drill for today?"

"We're doing a doubles battle," Kim explained, "Two-man teams in a clash of the duo."

"That way, Ichika might have a fair chance of beating me," Charles jokes.

"Hey! I could've had you!" Ichika griped.

"What happened now?" Lincoln asked.

"It's nothing!" Charles wagged his/her hand, "Let's not dawdle any longer!"

The practice match was underway, with Lincoln and Ichika facing off against Charles and Kim. Ichika and Lincoln showed their amazing chemistry, fending off massive attacks and trading blows as they became fully immersed in the fight, even managing to score some good hits...

...Unfortunately, what could they do against a seasoned third-year and a Representative Contender who knows how to switch weapons during the heat of the battle?

The fight ended when Lincoln was hit with Charles's shield pierce pointy thingy-BAM! "YAAAHOOHOOHOOHOOOOOO-" PLOP! "Uuuuuuuu..."

UCHIGANE (SAMURAI) — SHIELD 4/95% (CRITICAL) — **LOSE**

BYAKUSHIKI — SHIELD 8/100% (CRITICAL) — **LOSE**

UCHIGANE (YUMI) — SHIELD 73/95%

RAFAEL REVIVE CUSTOM — SHIELD 82/100%

"Well, I'd say that was a very productive session," Kim extended her hand to Lincoln.

"Yep," Lincoln grabbed hold and stood himself up, "Same for me..."

"I can tell you've improved. It's the everyday training, I bet."

All four went back to the holding area to rest. While Charles and Ichika were figuring out what tactics Ichika can use that don't require the energy-eating Ignition Boost or the AHEM Barrier Disabling Attack, Kim and Lincoln were walking out discussing the incident.

"So, that's all about that," Lincoln said.

"I had no idea that girls could be so pit-nicky," Kim observed the dodging glances, "Imagine how it must feel for your sisters. I'm certain that even they have secrets they want to hide."

"They do...but knowing the rate of gossip..."

"Hey, you two!" Akina caught up with them, "Wanna grab a quick bite?"

At dinner time, where they were joined by Ichika and Charles...

"No way...it's that bad?" Akina blinked.

"Yeah..." Ichika said, "It's only because of Lincoln and Charles that I was able to understand more of the material...but it wasn't enough."

"Darn right It wasn't enough," Kim said, "No one has ever gotten below a 73."

"I was lucky enough to get a 75," Lincoln nodded, "How did a 59 happen?"

"I think I have an idea..." Charles pointed to a group of girls who nudged the table,

"Hey, Ichika!"

"Oh, hello."

"You wanna sit with my group? We have a really chill atmosphere that's totally not angsty or vicious-"

"No thanks," Ichika already knew what they were doing having caught her glancing at Lincoln, "I'm good where I am."

"Huh?! But...but don't you wanna get away from-"

"I actually need some of that," Ichika made his thoughts very clear.

The girls were forced to withdraw, having been so blatantly rejected.

"Guh...I don't know what happened today..." Ichika sighed, "Since this morning, they've been very adamant in getting as much alone time with me as possible..."

"Best watch your back with the girls here," Akina said, "You never know what they're capable of."

"Like, spreading a rumor that's not true but sounds like it would happen, and then actually making it happen?" Lincoln asked.

"Oh no. Worse," Akina grinned and scrunched her arms and shoulders, "Much worse!" demon banshee "A THOUSAND TIMES WORSE **AAAAAHAHAHAHAHAHAAAAAAAAA**!"

"Do I wanna be a man or a mega lamp..."

Lincoln came across Laura once again in the middle of the courtyard, "Hey! You wanna hang-" she just walked past him like he never existed. "-ouiaeoauooo...Why did I bother again?"

At the dorms, where Lincoln was holding temporary residence...

(-Now is the time.-Now is the hour.-I am the magic.-I am the power, ohh...)

"Bulghulghulgh..."

"Nope, I can't-I'm done."

"Charles and Lincoln are out!"

"Brûlez en enfer, sorcière..."

"I thought earrape was just with loud noises!"

Lincoln, Akina, Kim, Houki, Ichika, Cecilia, and Charles were cooped up in 1025. They just finished a cringe-off, and Houki won.

"How do you do it, Houki?" Ichika couldn't resist, "How can you put up with this type of garbage?"

"Honestly, I've been through worse," Houki said.

"Not like this afternoon?" Cecilia snapped, "You weren't trying to win the battle. You were trying to beat me senseless."

"Really?" Lincoln sounded a tad bit shocked, "How bad was it?"

"I do believe she got in a throat strike. I only say that because halfway through the battle, she was only aiming at my throat."

"Holy Jesus, woman!" Akina exclaimed, "Have you learned nothing?!"

"I did!" Houki stammered, "Like...how you should go under like woosh and then BANG right over the-"

"Ahem?"

Houki drooped, "No, I haven't..."

Lincoln was slightly disturbed, but not really. After all, he was seeing his good work being undone right before his eyes ever since he first arrived in the Academy.

But it certainly wouldn't stop there, because a painfully constant reminder of what he had to do was waiting outside the moment he excused himself to go to the toilets...

"Man, what I'd give for a head massage right now..." Lincoln said when he left the room.

"How about a head ache?"

"Who in-guh..." he turned around and found Kiyoka and Sayuka, looking mighty disdainful, "*SIGH...* Let me guess...you're here to threaten me, even though you didn't ask Ichika for his thoughts on the tournament."

"Shut up, cracker!" Kiyoka shouted, "If it wasn't for your snoopy little nose, Ichika would've been mine!"

"You mean, mine," Sayuka said, "but that's none of your business!"

"Did anyone ask Ichika?" Lincoln asked.

"Why does that matter?!"

Lincoln smirked, "Because if that happened, I'm sure he'd do everything in his power to make the date the worst date ever."

Kiyoka slammed him against the wall and held him by the neck, "I oughta pelt you in your stupid buck-ees right now!"

Lincoln pocketed his hands, "So, do it. What's stopping you?"

The pair realized that he got them. If Kiyoka does hit him, he will tell on her. All the evidence he needs to get her suspended will be right there on his face.

Kiyoka has to let him go, but not before she gave him a stern warning, "Just you wait, albino! You'll get your just deserts soon enough!"

Lincoln waited until they were back in their rooms before leaning against the wall, gasping for breath, "Man, their faces when I don't act the way they expect me to," he wiped his mouth, then turned around, "Is that what you find despicable about me?"

Laura saw the very brief conflict, but she thought nothing of it, or his question. She just walked past him.

Lincoln walked after her, "Hello? Laura? You want-" book to the shin "-GAAHOOWWWW!" thud "MY LEG..."

"Don't use my first name," Laura growled as she continued to her room.

"Aw...this has gotta stop..." Lincoln groaned, then writhed as the pain intensified, "Ggg...do the worm...do the worm...I HOPE YOU'RE PREPARED WOMAN! BECAUSE NOW, THAT INNER WALL'S COMING DOWN NO MATTER WHAT!"

"What wall?"

"Eh?" Lincoln looked up. "HANA?!" He propped himself up, "Uh, What brings you here?"

"I just saw you writing in-"

"It's nothing, really. Just gotta get some issues sorted out. That's all."

For the next few days, Lincoln focused on his own studies, only stopping for a quick conversation with his friends before going back to training. But every time he saw Hana or Laura, he made sure to at least say hello. He was able to find comfortable ground with Hana; with Laura, however, it seemed like every attempt to greet her made things worse between them.

Things came to a head that weekend. When Rin and Cecilia woke up extra early to prepare for their revenge match, Lincoln woke up to take a call from Great Lakes City.

"Gee mah nee! I heard things are getting rough at the Academy, but this is just bordering on cringe and rage," Ronnie Anne said after she got the full explanation.

"I feel like the boy who cried wolf. Or screamed date," Lincoln said, "Everyone's got a bone to pick with me, all because I-" dramatic voice "-DARED TO SPEAK OUT AGAINST THE FEMALE NATURAL ORDER-"

"Whoa, Whoa, Whoa! Easy there, Fido!"

"Hehe, sorry. Just that things are getting unnecessarily tense, all the way up to the class tournament."

"Are they mad that you have a voice? What kind of girls are they?"

"The naive kind. So, how's everything back home?"

"Exactly how you'd expect. Same old craziness, but Bobby is an absolute powerhouse with the bodega. He's even keeping pace with that giant supermarket a couple blocks down!"

"So!" Suddenly, a long-haired Asian brunette popped up onscreen, "This is the new pilot I've heard so much talk about!"

"Waah!" Lincoln jolted, "Uh...hi..."

"Uh, Yeah..." Ronnie repositioned the monitor, "Lincoln, this is Sid. She moved into our apartment complex yesterday."

"Any friend of Ronnie's is a friend of mine," Sid said, "By the way, I heard you had a rough ride with the German Representative Contender."

"Yeah," Lincoln sighed, "I've been trying everything to get through that concrete wall, like here's her heart, here's the wall, and here's me going-" slashing whacko "-YAYAYAYAYAYAYAYAYAYAYAYAYAAAAAAAA-" normal person "-What am I doing?"

"Have you tried getting on her level?" Sid asked.

"Like, speak German?"

"No, not to _that_ extent!" Sid chuckled.

"Oh, I gotcha," Ronnie nodded, "Act like she does, right? I think she only responds to power, though."

"How am I gonna do that?" Lincoln said, "She won't let me get within five yards of her personal space."

"I'm sure you'll think of something," Ronnie assured him, "You always have a plan for everything."

"Does he have a plan for the tournament, though?" Sid blurted out, "Miss Bodewig is currently the strongest out of Lincoln's class."

Lincoln didn't bother with the business back home. In the afternoon, he practiced with Kim in CQC.

"Waaaaa-GG-" he was taken down again, but he managed to bounce his head into hers and leg scissor his way back onto his feet.

"Booooooo!" Someone shouted, "Pin him down!"

"Do you mind?!" Kim snapped, "You know what will happen if you persist!"

After training, he was walking down a hallway with Kim and Hana.

"Sorry you had to experience that," Kim said, "I tried to sway those girls away from you, but they still want to deal "retribution" to you."

"I don't know what happened to make them so volatile," Hana commented.

"I bet it has something to do with whatever I did," Lincoln casually threw out, "After all, I was supposed to be the mascot."

"I hope not," Hana said, "You don't look like the mascot type."

"Aw, stop being so modest, Miss Suzuki!" Kim joked.

Just then, a student happened upon the trio, "You guys! You're not gonna beli-" she stopped talking when she caught sight of Lincoln, and opted to whisper in Hana's ear instead.

Hana's eyes widened, "Oh no..."

"What?" Lincoln asked, "What happened?"

The student tried to cut him off, "Oh, like you need to kn-"

"We have a situation!" Hana shouted, "Arena 3! Now!"

The trio went to holding area 3-3, where a dastardly scene awaited them. Laura had just finished making very brutal work of Rin and Cecilia when Ichika and Charles intervened before the IS Mandatory Unlock could be activated.

"What is she doing?" Kim wondered, "Is she that narcissistic as to display that kind of German brutality?!"

"We have to do something!" Hana shouted.

"Hana, go back and warn everyone!" Lincoln grabbed Kim's hand and ran to the Uchigane hangar, "Kim, we have to isolate Bodewig!"

Out on the field, Laura has snagged Charles with her wires and rendered him(her) virtually powerless against the AIC. "Now then, Frenchwoman," Laura reeled Charles in closer, "I will show you the difference between the generations!"

Charles was pinned down. Ichika had to guard Rin and Cecilia, both weakened from the onslaught. The boys were stuck as Laura unsheathed a saber and rushed the Revive II with all her might.

But her saber met the cold metal of the Uchigane. Once again, Lincoln took the hit, distracting her long enough for Kim to ram a sword into the Schwarzer Regen and fling it against the wall.

"Lincoln?!" Charles rushed to pick him up, "Que fais-tu ici, Lincoln?!"

_("Lincoln...What are you doing here, bro...")_

"Lynn..." and suddenly, it all came back to him.

_("Aw, look! Little Loud's gonna take one for the mud head!")_

"I took a hit for Lynn?!" It really came back to him.

"Lincoln?" Charles snapped him out of it, "Are you ok-"

Lincoln knocked Charles off him and charged straight at Laura, ready to whip a slice senseless because of what he remembered.

Lincoln and Clyde were coming back from their second day of third grade, when they saw Lynn getting pummeled. For some reason, he felt compelled to come to Lynn's rescue, but since there was no way he could beat her assailants, he had to use an alternative: getting as many people as possible to witness the beat down.

And in his mind, that one incident implanted in his sisters' brains the idea to use him as a personal scapegoat, be it for experimentation, stress relief...or just 'cuz.

"GEH MIR AUS DEN AUGEN!" Lincoln shouted right before contacting Laura in the middle of an AIC.

Laura was knocked on her back, but she kicked him off and got right back up. Then she fired several railgun shots to the ground to blind him and Kim in the dust before wrangling them both in her wires.

"The prodigal son," Laura hissed. She tightened the wires' grip on his neck, "And you dare show your fake strength in front of me...prepare yourself, imposter." She readied her railgun and took aim.

But right before it fired, someone shoved a giant sword in the barrel, causing the railgun to explode. Laura was taken back several feet before being held at point, "?! Mentor..."

By Chifuyu, "Honestly, this is why babysitting little kids is such a pain." She managed to swipe Lincoln's sword and hold it to Laura's neck, without the aid of an IS.

Ichika hovered over to the scene with Charles right behind, "Wow, sis has still got it."

Once she was sure that no one would dare to continue the fight, Chifuyu lowered her sword, "You can practice all you want here. However, as a teacher, I can't ignore it when you start destroying the barriers in the arena itself, so this is over now. I'm ordering you to wait until the tournament to settle your grudge match. Is that understood?"

"If those are your orders, Mentor..." Laura muttered as she withdrew her IS.

Chifuyu turned to Ichika and Charles, "Orimura. Dunois. You're ok with that, too, right?"

"Uh...yes ma'am, I can wait," Ichika responded.

"That is an acceptable compromise," Charles likewise.

Chifuyu glanced over at Lincoln, whose eyes had become somewhat clouded, as if he had just seen something he was never meant to see. She took a mental note of his condition before declaring to the rest of the crowd, "In that case, you're all hereby prohibited from engaging in any personal matches until the upcoming tournament! Dismissed!"

Later, Ichika's group, sans Lincoln, took itself to the infirmary for a checkup. Thankfully they only had minor injuries that were treated within an hour.

But Ichika couldn't fathom why Rin and Cecilia were griping, "I cannot believe you two just kept up the fight. If I were just a few seconds late, you wouldn't have made it out alive."

"Like it was at all necessary for you to help us back there," Rin complained.

"We would surely have won if only we were permitted to finish," Cecilia agreed.

Charles giggled while serving everyone tea, "Oh, stop putting on a front, you two."

"Putting on a-huh?"

Charles laid out the tea the same way he laid out the smack talk, "You are embarrassed because someone you like saw you getting hurt. That is correct, no?"

Rin immediately went on the defensive, "I promise I have absolutely no idea what you're talking about! Cross my heart!"

"Um, I'm confused as well!" Cecilia stammered, "I'm not putting on any sort of front either!"

Ichika did not believe that at all, "Wait, What does that have to do with you picking a fight with Laura in the first-" he stopped when they spat out their tea all over the room, "-...hot...very hot..."

Rin tried to find an excuse that wasn't a dead giveaway, "Well...uh...that's because, uh..."

"Well, when she insulted us," Cecilia started spouting nonsense, "she basically disrespected our female pride...nothing beyond that, honest..."

Charles figured out what those words really meant, "Ahahaa! You mean Ichika's someone who-BMMPHMMMPMM-"

While Rin and Cecilia were struggling to control Charles's motormouth, Ichika finally connected the dots. Laura insulted him in their presence, so they sought to teach her a lesson. He thought that it only happened to someone they really care about, "Come on, I thought we talked about this. We agreed to let the tournament decide that date, right?"

Rin and Cecilia took great offense to that.

"What's with that foolish statement?!" Rin snapped, "How can you be so foolish, fool?!"

"I cannot believe you would say that!" Cecilia said, "You are the biggest fool here!"

"Yeah, you big fool, dumbity dumb head, you!"

Ichika got right in their faces. He already figured out what Charles was going to say, ergo what the girls really thought of him, but he wanted to hear it in person, "Then what is it exactly?"

"Uehe?!" Cecilia and Rin jumped back, "What...what ever could you-"

"You never gave me a straight answer the first time, so I'm gonna ask again," Ichika played on their fear of certainty. He took a step forward each time they took a step backward, "What. The hell. Am I. To you."

The two girls were about to cave in when a rumbling was echoed throughout the infirmary. Moments later, a horde of students stampeded the room, surrounding each person with notices.

**To all students,**

**In order for us to conduct the most practical simulated matches, all those participating in this month's IS tournament will be required to form two-member teams. However, for those unable to establish teams on their own, their partners will automatically be chosen by a random drawing. The registration deadline is one week from the tournament. Please meet with a faculty member when you have found your partner.**

**-IS Admin**

"Orimura! Orimura!" A student shouted, "You should partner up with me!"

"Please be my partner, Dunois!" Another shouted.

Ichika and Charles kept getting pounded with requests to join up with the other students.

But Ichika already knew that it couldn't happen, due to the risk of revealing Charles's secret identity, as well as any other female getting on his case for not considering another woman, so he clapped his hands together, "I'm very sorry, but I'm gonna team up with Charles, so forget it!"

The girls were...accepting:

"Well, if that's the case..."

"I suppose it's ok if two guys are teaming up."

"Actually, I think it's kinda hot."

Ichika sighed in relief.

Charles was about to offer some encouragement, but Rin and Cecilia blindsided Ichika first.

"Hey! You gotta be on my team!" Rin said, "We're childhood friends, aren't we?!"

"No, he should pick me!" Cecilia protested, "We're classmates, right?!"

"Hey!" Ichika wriggled, "I already said that I'm picking Charles!"

"What's the big idea picking him of all people?!" Rin demanded an explanation.

"You wouldn't favor someone who could actually lead you to victory!" Cecilia said, "How dare you?!"

Ichika panicked, "I didn't wanna say this but you made me," he grabbed Rin by her shoulders, "You're too provocative!" Then, he did the same thing to Cecilia, "And you're too snooty!"

Cecilia and Rin were stunned by what he just said. Charles hid behind the chair fearing what could happen next.

But Ichika was completely oblivious to the atmosphere, "Besides, What's wrong with a guy teaming up with another guy? It'd be less awkward for me, and more relaxing for you since you won't have a hundred other girls...coming...after... you..." until he saw a finger extend from Rin's hand.

"I don't know what you heard, Cecilia," Rin growled, "but to me, that sounded a lot like, 'Come and beat my stupid man-ass senseless!'"

"Trust it to a man to form an opinion before consulting other associates," Cecilia agreed, "However, I'd be more than happy to teach you the error of your ways."

"Wait..." Ichika said, "What's wrong with a guy partnering with another guy?..."

"Everything!" Rin snapped, "It means that you've disregarded your own childhood friend! How could you, you lousy jerk face?!"

"I hope you're fully prepared to suffer the consequences for your own farce, Ichika!" Cecilia declared war, "This match will not be like our first encounter! I will win decisively this time!"

And they left it at that. Cecilia and Rin walked away.

Ichika relaxed when the door closed, "HOY...that was completely unnecessary..."

"Lincoln's right," Charles smirked, "We are World War central."

Meanwhile, Lincoln was talking to Maya about the tournament. He had already received the news beforehand and asked her to pair him with Laura. Maya in turn notified him that his IS will be fully repaired the morning of the tournament.

That evening, Lincoln took a walk in the school park to mentally prepare himself for the inevitable smack talk and questioning that would erupt from the students who would spread another rumor about payback. He just needed a chance to explain why he chose his partner. And he would get it at the fountain. When he rounded the corner towards the cafeteria, he ran into Laura's icy cold vice grip.

"Hey! Language!" Lincoln shouted as he was pushed onto a seat against the fountain.

Laura was livid. She counted four times that he had gotten in her way. She was not about to let him off the hook now, "Explain yourself, cretin."

"Uh...explain what?...exa-"

"You block my way in the arena today, and a few hours later, you lump me in with the likes of you!"

"What? I thought you could use a little bit of-"

"I DON'T REQUIRE ANY HELP FROM A DESPICABLE UNWORTHY SWINE LIKE YOU!"

"Yeah, ok, I gotta know now!" Lincoln stood up, "What is really your deal?! What about me do you find-" mock accent "-duhspeeka_bluhh_?!"

"Tch..." Laura turned away and mentally replayed their previous battle, in which Lincoln did not call out all three of his allies until the very end, "You held back."

"Wuzzat?"

"You held back during our fight! Your eccentric servants prevented me from utilizing my AIC, and yet it ended with your tail leaving the arena in shambles!"

"Your AI-oh, come on. Power isn't the only thing, is it?"

"Is that why you've lost every single IS battle you've participated in since your discovery of your powers?! Are you that feeble of a boy?!"

"I'm 11, you're 15-OH YOU TELL ME!"

"I would say, yes you are. How they let an emotional prepubescent brat in this place I am going to find out."

"And then send me back to my family, right?"

_("I do it for my brother.")_

_("I will never approve that he's her brother!")_

Laura had to stop when he said that. She couldn't understand why he drew strength from other people...or why he kept approaching her when no one else would. She could see that his eyes had seen some kind of longing pain, but nothing else about him made sense to her. To her, he's like a walking on-off switch that changes positions with each step he takes.

Laura had to know, "Why, then? Why did you come all this way out here?"

Lincoln misinterpreted that question as 'why he came to the fountain'. He just came to walk, but since she knew that he would be her partner for the tournament...

"...Weil ich nicht zustimme..." he thought Now would be a great time to practice what little German he learned since he first encountered her, "...Tatsächlich werde ich niemals bejahen, dass du mein Feind bist."

"Wha..." there was something off about what he said, but Laura waded through the speech enough to fully understand everything that which no one has ever said to her, not even her closest comrades in the army, "Wo kommt das her?"

"Ok, end foreign language mode, heh...Look, I know you pretty well now. You've suffered. You were cast aside until Chifuyu gave your life meaning. But you've gone and misinterpreted the strength speech; being the strongest isn't the only thing that matters. Don't get me wrong; it's important...but it's not _the most _important."

"What do you mean?"

Lincoln could feel the weight of his words on his shoulders. He had to tread carefully, "I mean...uh, there's more to strength than just raw power. There's a strength in faith. Yes, that does exist. Strength comes from more than just brute force. And I wanna show you that there's a better way to find strength."

And at that point, Laura thought he was just rambling. But she did take something away from that rant. If he could have refrained from calling his allies to fight alongside him, yet also throw an IS that wasn't meant for intense CQC right into the fray, and completely upend her multiple times using his brains instead of his brawn, maybe he did know what he was talking about...or maybe he just pulled it out of his ass in an effort to control her rage.

Laura decided to take it upon herself to find out the truth of his words. She extended her hand to Lincoln, "Alright."

"Uh...alright, then," Lincoln slowly reached for her hand- "Ay!" -Once his hand was an inch from hers, he felt a sharp tug.

Laura brought his ear to her mouth and hissed, "Fallen Sie nicht zurück." She pushed him back on the seat and stormed off.

Lincoln kept his behind on the seat to fully absorb what he had just created for himself. "Well...that was ungodly hard to do..." he sighed, "but it's done..."

"Ooh la la!"

"GGG-" Lincoln was shook by an all-too-familiar friendly voice, "Akina?..."

"_Eye vill nevah apoove zat u Ah my enemy!_" Akina popped her head out from a bush, "You has to steal her words, too, Romeo?"

Kim popped her head out next, "And use them in such a cheesy manner that even the most basic of women would gag?"

Hana popped her head out last, with very...very curious eyes.

"Get off my case, women!" Lincoln snapped.

Laura was wandering off by the residence hall. She still had her mind on his burning words, especially how he refused to see her as she saw him. If he never thought of her as an enemy, then what was she to him? In fact, he never really answered her question. If he didn't want to be the strongest, then what was he doing here?

"Damn him..." She clawed her hair, "His mind games have interfered with my agenda..."

Just then, she saw him again, this time fending off playfully jabbing jokes at him.

Akina encircled her eyes with glass cups, "If you blur your eyes, they do look like siblings."

Kim grinned, "German blood is the only explanation I can think of for that hair."

"Ok, ok, I get it!" Lincoln said, "You calling me a masochist or something?!"

"Hey, bro. Your words," Akina backed away.

"I oughta copy her hairstyle so that I can use that sideways cowlick as a stabbing weapon!"

"You'd really do that?" Hana blushed when she envisioned Lincoln with that hairstyle.

Which caused him to cringe, "Aw, not you too!"

"Doing the hard thing ain't convenient!" Akina latched herself onto his back, "Unless you're watching someone else doing the hard thing! Then, it's hilarious!"

"Ok, we're overdoing it now," Hana said.

"Come on!" Akina smacked Hana's shoulder, "You can't deny its golden moments!"

"Nor its impact on the rest of the people," Kim said, "You know what they say, 'Pain and suffering are always inevitable for a large intelligence and a deep heart.'"

"*GULP*" Akina and Hana froze, "Didn't think of that..."

"Where do you get these things?..." Lincoln was very suspicious of Kim.

"Don't ask."

Laura shook it off. She made up her mind to try and get rid of whatever she just saw.

With the teams established, the students retired to their dorms to get some weekend relaxation. The next morning, when everyone else in 1025 had already woken up, Lincoln was all alone. He called home to check in on his sisters. And Luan and Lisa were the first to respond.

"It's been fifty shades of clock-tickery lately," Luan said, "People left and right have been dogging Luna for her lesbianism."

"I thought she was bisexual?"

"It's complicated," Lisa said, "People associate bisexuality with polygamy, which as I found out..." Lisa displayed a rather vulgar (and poorly photoshopped) picture of Luna with multiple guys and gals, "...is generally received very harshly."

"Geez," Lincoln gasped, "How's Luna handling it?"

"Very down," Luan responded, "Last couple weeks, she's been hanging all _bi_ herself! Hahahahahaaa! Get it?"

"Ugh..."

"She's not in the best shape," Lisa butted in, "Look out for some emails in the near future."

"Will do," Lincoln said before he remembered the flashbacks, "By the way, I have to ask...what happened a few years ago?"

"Huh?" Luan tilted her head, "The heck are you yapping about bro?"

Lincoln drew in a big breath, and then dropped the bombshell, "Did I take a hit for Lynn after she was brutally beaten up on her second day of sixth grade?"

Luan dropped her smile. She didn't want to hear those words coming out of his mouth, piling on top of everything that's happened to the family so far. She had to alert them (and blow out Lisa's ear drums), "LORI! LUNA! LENI! HE KNOWS! HE KNOWS EVERYTHING!"

Lincoln took that as a confirmation, "Wait, that actually happened?!"

Luan shoved Lisa away from the monitor, "Ttyl, Linc. Don't me," and turned the PC off.

"Luan? Lisa?! Hey!" Lincoln stammered, "What gives?!" He tried to re-establish connection, but he found that he was quickly blocked, "Oh my god, that actually-"

Then all of a sudden, the door was slammed open.

"Hah! Who-"

"On your feet, Loud."

"Laura?!" Lincoln jolted, "What's the big-"

Laura stormed the room and dragged him out, "As you are now, you are a grave liability. I will not be held accountable for your failure to achieve even the most basic of victories."

"Liability?" Lincoln repeated. Unfortunately, saying the word out loud allowed him to deduce its true meaning, "You mean, I gotta train even more?!"

"Yes?" Laura glared, "Is there a problem?"

"*GULP* ...no, Miss Bodewig..."

And he's been aimlessly dragged around the hallway of life ever since, up to the tournament. The two weeks leading to the big event was always packed with activities, so he didn't get much conversation time. His routine was always: school, training, homework.

School was more overwhelming than usual, mainly due to the daily pounding of the students for ruining their supposed bet, but also because of quarter tests and midterm exams. He spent more time than necessary on his schoolwork, every single opportunity he had to strike a conversation with his friends he made sure he took. And he took full advantage of those opportunities...until another student came along to steal his acquaintances away and leave him alone to take more of the same brutal gossip he had become so numb to at that point.

Oddly enough, that same smack talk provided him the static he needed to survive training. Every single afternoon was spent either in the martial arts club or in the arena, but Laura would push Lincoln to the breaking point regardless. She squeezed everything her drill sergeants put her through every day since her birth into thirteen three-hour sessions in order to force him to develop his reflexes and tactics necessary to win an IS battle, while unwittingly refining her own. Sometimes, Kim would be brought in to witness a sparring match between the two, and she would offer her feedback on how they could improve. Funny thing was that the two had a 'relationship' going; Lincoln thought Laura was getting too far ahead, while Laura thought he was closing in on her and had to keep pushing to stay ahead of him.

When the day was done, and the belly was full, it was straight to 1025 for Lincoln. This was the time that he discussed homework with Ichika and Charles. Usually it was treated as a mission for a three-man team, with the occasional chat about some mindless entertainment. This was really the only time that Lincoln could relax, but even then he'd get interrupted by an email from home about a situation that was pushing his sisters to the brink, which would lead to a conversation about the trio's own familial experiences. But they found a way to always get back on track with their IS work. They would always give each other as much support as they could, by friendly banter, enlightening advice, or, on one occasion, observing how Charles was able to go from voluminous chest to man pecs.

And all the work they had put in paid off in spades. Nine days before the tournament, the quarter-term test day arrived. The results were given near the end of the day.

"Ichika Orimura?" Maya called out.

"Yes, ma'am?" Ichika stood up and received his result: 74.

"I'm happy to see you improving!" Maya cheered, "Keep it up!"

Ichika sighed, very thankful that the extra time he put in kept him above the cutoff line.

Maya picked up the next test, "Ok, Lincoln Lou-uh..." and she was stunned by what they put in his score box.

"Yes, ma'am?" Lincoln walked to the front, looking slightly drowsy.

"Here," Maya just shoved the paper in his chest.

Lincoln walked back to his desk and mentally checked out. He slept through the bell that ended school, meaning another free jab for the girls.

"I don't understand," a student said, "Where'd he get the nerve to sleep in like that?"

"I bet he was up late gaming every night," Another joked.

"Oh, just off him," Kiyoka approached him, "There's Nothing this guy could do to-" she saw his score "-ONE HUNDRED HIMSELF?!"

"What was that?!" A student heard that number and checked for herself, "THE HELL?!"

Which got Cecilia's attention, "What's gotten into you-HE HAS!"

Which got the entire class's attention:

"THAT PIPSQUEAK GOT 100?!"

"Nuh-Uh! That shouldn't be possible!"

"WHAT IS THIS KID'S PROBLEM?!"

That last shout shook him up, "Ah! I'm awake! I'm awake!"

Cecilia slammed her hands on his desk, "You!"

"Aaa!" Lincoln hopped, "Yes?"

"What are you trying to pull, huh?!" Kiyoka demanded.

"What's it with you and our business?!" A student knocked him from behind.

But Laura's sharp voice froze them, "What are you doing, Loud?"

The students were dumbfounded. They never heard Laura address a fellow student with a non-condescending tone before. They had no idea why she addressed Lincoln as one of her own.

"Stop wasting time with the helpless masses and get to the second arena," Laura called him to her side. And they departed for the arena together.

Ichika approached Charles and Houki, "Some display of power."

"What's the matter with Cecilia?" Houki asked.

Charles snickered, "She got a 98."

"Oof...female pride, indeed," Ichika commented, "Well...shall we?"

While Ichika's and Lincoln's closest friends were merely going about their business, the students who had a hand in the bet started to realize their biggest mistake. They continually dogged Lincoln for ruining their private bet, and in doing so took away ruined his social life...leaving him with nothing to do except to try and become the top student in his class, maybe the top contender in the tournament. And given everything they said about him, they figured it was too late to get on his good side.

The only thing they could do was to train for the tournament. Suddenly, everyone was in a frenzy. They asked Ichika, Cecilia, and Rin about what they did to prepare for the previous tournament, and they got all the tips to succeed. In the week leading up to the tournament, all six arenas were packed with students training sessions and demonstrations. Whenever they saw Lincoln tagging along with Laura, a fire was ignited inside them. Smack talk and rumors clearly backfired on them, so they went straight to the practice fields, parks, whatever open spaces they could use to try and get an advantage in the tournament. Within one day, the entire first year was scrambling to make the best use of their time.

Three days before the big day, Maya and Chifuyu were doing their rounds across the hall when they saw Rin surrounded by three other students.

"Well, it wasn't a lot of hard work to get in," Rin boasted, "but my god, you wouldn't believe the crud I had to do to stay at the top of my game!"

"What do you think my chances are?" A student asked her.

"I'd say you'd need to work on your weapons mastering. Work on that, and you have a chance at the semifinals."

"Aw, that's mean!"

"What is that girl doing?" Chifuyu muttered, until she heard Charles leading a group of his own.

"It is quite literally all in the head," he said, "Unless your knowledge of commands is discrete and absolute, you will not be able to control your IS the way you want it to."

"Do you think you can show me how to control the IS better?" the student asked.

"But of course," he answered, "There is an open time slot in the morning tomorrow."

Chifuyu and Maya blinked. They haven't seen this kind of serious attitude since their days as Representative Contenders. They ran to the arenas, the library, the clubrooms, even the gymnasium. The students seemed to really want to give it their all for the tournament.

"Miss Orimura?" Maya asked.

"What is it?" Chifuyu whispered, still very amazed.

"Is it just me, or do the students this month seem to take this tournament more seriously than last month?"

"They don't know who's in attendance in the stands, so..."

Maya gasped when she saw Ichika and Akina speaking with a second-year student about IS usage and energy conservation. She nearly fainted when she saw Houki and Cecilia looking over a book that Tabane Shinonono herself wrote.

"Holy schnikes!" Maya shouted, "Everyone's totes psyched for the tournament!"

"Uh-huh," Chifuyu looked out the window, and up into the Arena 6 airspace, "and I literally know who to blame."

Maya looked up to where Chifuyu was looking, and saw Lincoln in the Uchigane Yumi engaged in a mid-air duel with Laura's Schwarzer Regen. They both clashed in CQC before Kim stopped the brawl.

Kim floated upwards in the Uchigane Samurai and looked at Laura, "Again."

"What?!" Laura snapped, "What do you mean again?!"

"You're both getting too rigid in your movements, which does not lend itself to your maneuverability. Bodewig, relax your arms and the rest will follow. Loud, don't rely so heavily on point-blank surprise attacks. Both of you, go again."

"Well, I'll be..." Chifuyu muttered.

Somehow, Lincoln rubbed off on everyone in a positive way. They used to look down on him, until they realized that that was exactly what he wanted.

"You're not gonna say that he...inspired...them, are you?" Maya questioned, "Because that would be wildly inaccurate."

"More like 'motivated...' Wait, what was going through your mind?"

"Uh...Nothing! Nothing."

"Ugh...we're at school," Chifuyu yanked her away, "so keep it at school."

"Right," Maya nodded as the two went away to prepare for main event.


	20. Class Tournament: Round of 16

The day of the tournament has arrived, and thanks to Lincoln's daily grind, the entire school has been caught in a frenzy. Everyone woke up early to give themselves one last pep talk.

Except Lincoln. He was still sleeping when Ichika and Charles went out for an early warm up. He woke up when he was alerted to some choice emails:

**HOW...THE HECK... DID YOU FIND OUT?! HOW?!?!?!?!?!**

**-LJ**

**I thought you'd be happy to know that our three eldest siblings and our parents have gone to see Dr. Lopez for family counseling. Apparently, they were all so very alarmed at whatever your flashbacks revealed that they started to piece together their apparent degradation of morals. I would assume your theory would be correct. Your body shield did indeed start the trend of scapegoat punching bag, and now they're paying for it.**

**-Lancy Lisa**

**Dude, where are you? I haven't been this far on the fritz since J-and-J. I already miss the slow jazz we'd share when trouble came knocking. Sam's always been there, but I'm only hanging on by a moment, bro. I can't afford any more.**

**-Lunes**

**By the time you read this, I'm afraid Lynn will already be in the football and volleyball finals. I think her teammates have already taken more than their fair share of digs at me, but it's nothing she can't handle, probably more than the others know how to handle it. Listen, man, everyone's been in a severe panic since...they knew you remembered. We thought you'd react harshly if you suddenly remembered that day, but Luan said you didn't. So, we don't know what to think.**

**-Clydesdale **

"Well, now I know what to think," Lincoln thought, "I think I won't come home for the holidays."

After he finished responding, Lincoln wandered off to the cafeteria. Once he sat down to eat, all eyes were on him. Only a handful of girls paid attention to his status as the world's youngest pilot; the rest of them were gunning for payback. But he didn't care because he knew he did more than enough to gain an ally in Laura.

But he couldn't help but wonder how Lynn felt when her big tournaments were rolling around the corner. The hallway leading to his assigned holding area gave him plenty of time to absorb his surroundings and think about his return trip home. If he ever takes one, because his stay at school sounded much better than the inevitable chaos at home.

Arenas 2, 3, and 6 were completely full. Everyone who was participating in the class tournament had already moved to their assigned lockers. Lincoln had found a "good luck" package in his, complete with a doll wrapped in a Squirrel costume with its mouth sewn shut, among other choices decorations.

"It's the thought that counts," Lincoln closed the locker door and found Kiyoka waiting for him.

"So we finally meet," Kiyoka said.

"And here I thought my birthday gift was from you," Lincoln responded.

"I don't know what you're talking about. Maybe your motormouth has finally run its course?" Kiyoka walked past him and brushed her hair in his face.

Lincoln changed into his battle uniform, right before he was yanked away by another student, "Whoa-Hey!"

"Hello, you," Sayuka hissed.

"Intimidation? Really?"

"Just wanted to make sure you knew your place. You better not try anything funny before I pummel you, Loud," Sayuka said before feeling a cold metal guitar on her shoulder. She turned around, "Huh-EEP!"

"Wanna change those lyrics any?" Night Club was right there with her guitar to Sayuka's neck. High Card was standing at the left with her fuzzy die and his IS in belt form ready to wrangle, and Strong Suit was standing at her right with a dumbbell ready to punch.

"Heard you've been giving Ace quite the petty lip while we've been gone," High Card growled.

"I've been itching for some payback for two weeks now," Strong Suit's words made Sayuka back away from Lincoln.

"You guys came here?" Lincoln asked.

"That Maya woman did a major number on your suit," High Card gave the belt to him, "Never would've been able to walk around like this without her."

Lincoln was touched to hear that someone went the extra mile to repair and improve his IS. "Well... I guess we owe her," he took the belt and put it back on.

"Darn right we do," Strong Suit nudged, "We owe her a big win!"

"I'm feeling real good about this one, y'all," Night Club said, "I can't wait to show them my new threads!"

"Take it easy, metallurgist," High Card bopped her head, "We have to find Bodewig first."

Laura had just finished changing into her battle uniform when she looked to her right and saw Lincoln walking towards her with his three trusted partners.

"Morning, Laura," he waved, "Everyone's here."

"Unglaublich..." Laura whispered.

"Yeah, took me a while, but I got the whole squad here."

"Hey, I know you," Strong Suit poked Laura's garterbelt, "You tried to do us in."

"You're partnering with this psycho app wap?" Night Club peered into the red eye.

"Ok, you two!" Lincoln yanked them down and dragged them to the nearest monitor, "Huddle up!"

"Is everyone acquainted with him this over eccentric?..." Laura groaned. Then, she noticed an accessory attached to his belt, "What is that?"

While Lincoln was sharing his experiences with his other two teammates, High Card swiped the handicap buckle from his belt and showed it to Laura, "This is a handicap on Ace. Required for all school-sponsored matches. His shield will match yours, and he can only call one ally out at a time. If he takes it off, his entire side is disqualified."

"Exactly how feeble are these people?" Laura shook her head before the monitor signaled the match selections.

OPENING TOURNAMENT BRACKET PLACEMENT: ROUND OF 16

"Hey, They're posting the first round matchups," High Card said.

"So it seems..." Laura waited for the names to come up. Once they were displayed, she called the rest of the squad to her side.

They took note of all who were listed in their bracket, but only five key battles were of concern to them:

MATCH 1: LINCOLN LOUD (12, USA) - LAURA BODEWIG (16, GER) vs KIYOKA AIKAWA (15, JPN) - SAYUKA YORUTAKE (15, JPN)

MATCH 2: AKINA SHINOHARA (15, JPN) - HANA SUZUKI (14, JPN) vs AIKO SATOME (15, JPN) - MANAME HONDA (15, JPN)

MATCH 4: CECILIA ALCOTT (15, GBR) - LINGYIN HUANG (15, CHN) vs YUZUME TANIMOTO (15, JPN) - SHIZUNE TAKATSUKI (15, JPN)

MATCH 6: HOUKI SHINONONO (15, JPN) - KANZASHI SARASHIKI (16, JPN) vs HOTARU FUJIKO (15, JPN) - SHIORI TOMINAGA (15, JPN)

MATCH 8: TINA HAMILTON (15, USA) - HONNE NOHOTOKE (15, JPN) vs ICHIKA ORIMURA (16, JPN) - CHARLES DUNOIS (15, FRA)

"Oh man...we've got quite the climb..." Lincoln gasped.

They were up first, so they gathered in holding area 2-3. Night Club, Strong Suit, and High Card fizzled out of existence while Lincoln and Laura prepared for battle.

"Do they have personal units?" Lincoln asked.

"No," Laura answered, "From what I gathered, they're going into research and development, so their piloting and maneuvering skills aren't a huge priority to them."

"Even so..."

Laura stared at the data screen, "It appears Kiyoka will be using the Uchigane Samurai configuration. Sayuka will settle in its Yumi configuration." Then she turned to Lincoln, "What say you? Can you provide a satisfactory tactic?"

"Hmm..." Lincoln scratched his head, "We can't say anything certain based on their day and fighting capabilities, but we do know a vital bit of information."

"What is that?"

"They hate me."

"So?"

"So..." he started to map out their battle plan, "they'll be so focused on me that they'll forget to consider you."

Laura scoffed, "Are these girls that petty?"

"Only one way to find out," Lincoln walked ahead of Laura, "We'll follow the Lightning Rod protocol. I'll be the point man."

Laura thought of three other plans to win this battle slightly faster than his plan, but decided against it since she wanted to see how far he has progressed in his training. "Then I will stay behind you," She muttered as she walked to the edge of the platform alongside Lincoln.

Lincoln saw Kiyoka and Sayuka already suited up and banged his fists together, "Time to deal out some justice!"

While they were enveloped in the warm glow of light, he swore he could hear someone booing them. "Just more lightning for the thunder," he quipped.

When the light subsided, he and Laura were fully deployed. They hopped off the platform and joined Kiyoka and Sayuka on the field.

"What the hell is your problem, pipsqueak?!" Kiyoka shouted.

AIKAWA — UCHIGANE (SAMURAI) (SHIELD 95%)

"I guess I couldn't stay out of my friends' business," Lincoln said.

LOUD — SAVVY SUITE (SHIELD 100% [137%])

"Clinging to Bodewig won't help you one bit!" Sayuka screamed, "Here comes a cold hard can of payback!"

YORUTAKE — UCHIGANE (YUMI) (SHIELD 95%)

Laura just waited for the countdown to finish.

BODEWIG — SCHWARZER REGEN (SHIELD 100%)

The people in the stands sat very still, waiting for the first move to be made. The remaining combatants in the holding areas started cheering for their favorite team to win. And once the buzzer sounded...

-FIGHT!-

...Lincoln and Kiyoka blasted off towards each other. His fist met with her blade, but he was very quick to throw out several card bombs to keep her at bay. All the while, he was juggling long-rage shots with Sayuka's bow and arrow.

"STAND STILL, WILL YOU!" Sayuka screamed. All of her shots hit, but none of them could deal any serious damage to the Suite.

"Dangit...need space..." Lincoln sought to jump back and gather his bearings, but then he noticed a shot from Sayuka fly right past his head and narrowly miss Laura. "Oh, right," he remembered what he was doing, "Almost forgot-" BONK! "-POM!"

For the third time in her life, Laura was at a loss for words. Here she was, not one ounce of effort wasted, not one scratch on her, not even a glance her way. While the other three combatants were floundering around all across the floor, she literally did nothing for two entire minutes. Her only threats didn't at all consider her worth the effort because they wanted a piece of her weaker half. All for a reason that would've earned them a spine-growing punishment.

"Mein Gott, I can't believe it's true," Laura fired her railgun and hit Kiyoka.

Lincoln saw Kiyoka get propelled towards him by the shot and slammed his wing units against her, flinging her face-first against the wall.

UCHIGANE (SAMURAI) — SHIELD 68/95%

"Aikawa-UGH!" Sayuka was distracted long enough to also get hit by Laura's railgun, which knocked her into Lincoln's kick, which slammed her against Kiyoka.

UCHIGANE (YUMI) — SHIELD 63/95%

"To think that people like you were admitted to this Academy with your current mindset is unforgivably asinine!" Laura walked forward while firing her railgun nonstop and kicking up a huge cloud of dust, "From little girls who refuse to bend their petty beliefs for a living plaything, to 'women' who wear the IS as a symbol of artificial, meaningless social status!"

Kiyoka couldn't see anywhere beyond the dust, leaving her repeatedly bombarded by the railgun.

Sayuka barely managed to fight off the shots long enough to escape the chaos. She quickly scanned the field, "Come on! What's happening?! Where is he-uh!" She just saw her main target jump back into the dust cloud.

Kiyoka was trying to fend off both the shots and the Suite. She was trying to wade through the dust, but she had zero visibility or perception, "Where are they?! Yorutake?! Where are you-" BOOM! "-AGH!" She was knocked out of the cloud, only to be knocked back in by Lincoln and shot again by Laura. "STOP DOING THAT-" BOOM! "-AGH!" Kiyoka dashed out of the cloud once more, then saw Lincoln standing by his lonesome, "There you are, you little weasel!" She made a mad dash towards Lincoln to try and get a good lick in...

"So predictable."

"Huh-" ...only to get stuck in Laura's AIC, "What the...can't...move..." Kiyoka freaked out even more when she saw Lincoln fly away like he didn't feel a thing, "Hey! Get back here, you-Ugh! No!"

"Arguably one of the most technology advanced countries in the world, and they chose you to develop the next generation," Laura readied her railgun, "They must be extremely short handed," and fired.

UCHIGANE (SAMURAI) — SHIELD 0 (EMPTY)

When Kiyoka was taken out of the competition, Lincoln was engaging Sayuka in long-range combat, "You mean girls and your gossip cliques! You just never bothered to learn, do you?!"

"Dammit!" Sayuka realized far too late that she was had. They were too busy with their revenge plot that they completely shoved his partner aside, "You knew this would happen?!"

"Well, duh! I'm not at all polite like the Japanese! I don't just sit there and take it!" Lincoln said while weaving his way through Sayuka's shots. When he was able to corner her with his own shots long enough to get within arm's reach, "I'm an American!" He elbowed her head and chucked her with several card bombs until she was bounced into the air. Then he got on top of her, "I FIGHT BACK!" and threw his 52-Card Pickup right at her face.

UCHIGANE (YUMI) — SHIELD 17/95% (WARNING)

Sayuka was hammered against the floor, absolutely stunned by what was done to them. No matter what they did, they played right into his hands. They left him alone and he became a threat. Then they tried to get their revenge on him, and now here she was, pinned on the ground unable to get up as she was strung up by the wire daggers, staring at the one person who held all the cards.

"Did you forget, lady?" Lincoln taunted while he and Laura were walking up to her, "There are two people on our team, remember?"

"Ngh..." Sayuka shuddered at those words. She had to think of a way to distract him so she could escape. And she seriously thought she could appeal to Laura, "Please...you don't have to do this..."

Laura eyed her captive for a few seconds before stepping aside, figuring out what she perceived to be the reason he chose the Lightning Rod protocol, "That depends on him."

Lincoln stepped forward, "You're right. I don't have to do this." He cupped his hands together and gathered another full deck, erecting a sense of fear in Sayuka's eyes. Then, he leaped forward and shoved the entire deck in her side, "I WANT TO DO THIS!" He twisted his hand and somehow managed a bigger explosion than Laura's shots.

Sayuka was flung out of the wires and skidded against the floor, all the way across to the other side of the arena.

UCHIGANE (YUMI) — SHIELD 0 (EMPTY)

SAVVY SUITE — SHIELD 31/100%

SCHWARZER REGEN - SHIELD 100%

"THE MATCH IS CONCLUDED. THE WINNER IS LINCOLN LOUD AND LAURA BODEWIG."

Kiyoka had been stuck in the kneeling position since her shield ran out, which made her more angry at him than disappointed about her loss. "We couldn't even take out the albino..." she hissed as Lincoln floated away scott-free.

When Lincoln and Laura returned to the holding area, High Card was waiting for them, "What was that?"

"What was what?" Lincoln asked.

"That kick and the using the human shield thing. What even was that?"

"Oh, that. I just need to send a message, is all," he said as they retreated to the locker room.

As the second match went underway, and all the other combatants stayed far away from Lincoln, High Card kept grilling him about his performance.

"I don't see what the problem is," Laura said, "We won very handedly, which is exactly what we came to do."

"It's how you won that ruins my literally's," High Card griped, "Had you not let go of that Kiyo_-_whoever-girl, you would've shattered her shoulders!"

"It's their own fault for being so headstrong and stubbornly useless."

"Why am I talking to you about this? Surely, your superiors taught you to use force _when necessary._"

"A show of force is necessary when your opponent does not understand the situation."

"Uh, guys?" Lincoln called.

"What?" They both snapped at him.

"Akina and Hana won."

"Why is that of..." Laura slowed to a stop when she saw the tournament bracket move Akina and Hana's names next to hers.

"Those guys are neutral to you, and friendly to Ace," High Card said, "How useful is that show of force now?"

Just then, Akina flung herself onto his back, "Gotcha, power pip!"

"Uaaa!" Lincoln shivered, "You're all...sweaty!"

"And what's wrong with that? You dig my womanly scent?"

"Hey! Gross! Get offa me!"

While Lincoln was wrestling with Akina, Laura was approached by Hana.

"What are you doing here?" Laura demanded.

"Just wanted to say hi," Hana felt slightly nervous.

"Your point being?"

"Well..." Hana averted her eyes, "we will be battling in the next round."

"Hana! Heeeeeelp-OOF!" Lincoln collapsed onto Akina and High Card's rear ends.

"My, my," High Card smirked, "That's why we need clothes, isn't it?"

"No! Eugh! Get away! Aaagh!" Lincoln screamed while Hana tried to shield him from Akina and High Card's teasing.

Laura blankly eyed the confusion with a hint of envy. This was something she didn't see in her army days. None of her fellow comrades actually addressed her as a comrade, just a soldier to be commended whenever she exceeded expectations. And yet here she was, looking at one of her 'comrades' mingling with the enemy, quite swimmingly in fact. She didn't know what to make of it, so she pushed the other girls aside and dragged him out of the mess.

"Oh-Hey!" Lincoln yelped, "Thanks for getting-Uh! Whaaaaaa..."

"A word," Laura pulled him into the hallway.

"What's her problem?" Akina asked.

"No clue," High Card said, "We better watch closely."

In the hallway, Lincoln had to yank himself out of Laura's grasp to stop her attracting unnecessary attention, "Ok, timeout for a second! Why'd you lug me all the way out here?"

"You should damn well know why," Laura growled at him, "I caught you fraternizing with the enemy right after they claimed the torch against us!"

"What's wrong with a little friendly banter?" Lincoln asked.

"Everything! You could have given away every single strategy in your arsenal! They could have siphoned everything about you to gain an advantage!"

"They already did that _loooong_ before the tournament was announced. We're just friends-"

"Friends?!" Laura became heated, "There are no friends in combat! There is only the success of the mission! Did you forget that?!"

"There's more to life than combat and being the strongest! Brute force and cunning can only get you so far!"

"That's not what those idiots drilled into your head!"

"Idiot?" Lincoln suddenly remembered how she belittled Ichika, "Ok, then was that bit with Miss Orimura on your IS a couple weeks ago?!"

"She is the epitome of strength and prowess. She could subdue any pilot without relying on an IS!"

"She only did that because you were trying to beat everyone to death!"

The trigger.

_("What was that, Bodewig?! This was supposed to be a covert IS operation! Why did you beat everyone in your sight within an inch of their lives?!")_

_("But I was following orders! I sent the core to Harfouch before I distracted the enemy-")_

_("STILLE!")_

_("With all due respect, I cannot comply with the-")_

_("Odin's Eye has clearly made you far to violent. Until we find a way to control it, you are on standby!")_

The very thing that caused her to be classified as defective. Laura always had trouble controlling her "upgrade's" violent tendencies, but to be reminded of that mission where she lost control and nearly killed everyone in sight... and by someone inferior to her, no less...

Laura shoved him against the wall and pierced his mind with her eyes, "ZIEH MICH NICHT SO AN..."

"Whoa!" Lincoln quivered, "Ok... I clearly touched a nerve...Uh, can I take that back, or-"

"Ooh, look!" Kiyoka found them at her optimal time and started to taunt them, "Lincoln's having _bad luck _with his new girlfriend!"

"(She's/I'm) not (my/his) girlfriend!" They shouted.

"Well, whatever floats your boat," Kiyoka and her friends walked towards the pair, "You only won because your spunky little German friend took advantage of you. But the next round, I promise you'll fall down hard!"

"Yeah!" Her friend chimed, "And then, you're going to learn why you should've just kept your mouth shut!"

Lincoln facepalmed himself, "Ok, now I have to ask...why would you make a bet on Ichika, without Ichika's knowledge?"

"Don't talk to me like you know a damn!" Kiyoka snapped, "You Won't get away with it next time!" Then she titled her head and saw Akina and Hana walking toward her and sidestepped Lincoln, "Hey, Aki-Chan! Hana-Chan!"

"Oh, Kiyoka!" Akina waved, "Didn't expect you here."

"So, huge favor to ask of you!" Kiyoka grasped Hana's hands, "Do you think you can take Lincoln down a few notches?"

"Why's that?"

"He's been very very mean to the rest of the girls, and I couldn't do anything about it! Maybe you can teach him a thing or two about respect?"

Hana looked at Lincoln, who just groaned at the other girls' blatantly disdainful glares, then at Akina, who simply nodded her head.

"Sure," Hana responded, "We'll beat him."

"Yay!" Kiyoka hugged her, "I knew you'd understand-"

"But!" Hana instantly pushed her away, "Lincoln and I are going to the amusement park right after."

"Wait-What?!"

"I said... I am going to the park with Lincoln. Right after the tournament ends."

"But...but why?!"

"Oh, honey," Akina interrupted, "let me level something with you," then she walked over to Lincoln and put her head on his hair, "Like it or not, he is my friend. And he did nothing to earn this atrocious ire from you. In fact, he got even more respect from me because he didn't shut up and take it like you wanted him to."

"But he's... in the fact..." Kiyoka short circuited, "Hana-chan? You don't really think of him like that, do you?..."

"I also wanna get to know him better," Hana nodded, "The way I see it, he's a younger Ichika that's born in another place. I don't see what's wrong with that."

"I can't believe you!" Sayuka heard everything and couldn't hold it anymore, "Didn't you see what he did to Lingyin?! What he did to his fellow classmates?!"

"One, he's friends with Lingyin," Akina said, "Two, he's just protecting Ichika, who's also his friend. If I were him, I would've done a lot worse."

Kiyoka saw that it was pointless trying to convince Akina and Hana to turn against Lincoln, so she threw her hands up and walked away. Sayuka took Kiyoka to the bathhouse to comfort her, while several students walked past Lincoln's group.

"Have fun slumming it up with that tiny pipsqueak, Shinohara," a student taunted.

Another student shoved Hana aside, "How far you have fallen, Suzuki."

The rest of the students threw their own insults and vacated the hallway until it was only the five of them alone.

Lincoln blinked, trying to forget about the recent, random confrontation. He tugged at Akina's shoulder, "The nearest amusement park is an hour and a half away."

"Shh!" Akina whispered, "They don't know that!"

"You mean..." Lincoln felt touched, "You did that for m-MMPHGHPHGH!" until he actually was touched.

"Aw, what'd I tell you, Hana?!" Akina squeezed the love out of him, "Pretty cute, huh?!"

"Ok, you can let him go," Hana urged Akina to take everyone back to the holding area.

Laura had been completely cast aside for the comical nonsense between her teammate and her enemies. She was about to pull him off again when she was approached by High Card again. "What is it now?" She demanded.

"Still think a blitzkrieg is gonna solve everything?" High Card asked.

"What do you mean?"

"I mean, are you really going to make him give those two the same treatment he gave your previous opponents?"

Laura had to think about that. She really had to stand there in the middle of the hallway and rethink her mindset on the tournament. Mainly because it was a tournament held in an educational institution, not a combat mission in a bullet-ridden war zone.

"Really?..." High Card groaned, "Ok, well, I'll be out and about for a few. Come find me when you're done 'introspecting' yourself," and then she walked out.

Laura watched as High Card consulted with another tournament participant, then walked to the locker room, where Lincoln spun around by himself after he and Hana were whirlwinded into Akina's good luck dance.

"Guh..." he muttered, "I think I did a character 720 or something..." he tipped over and fell into Rin's arms, "Oof! Wuhh?..."

"Yeah. Weird," Rin joked.

"Why are you in here?"

"We won our battle, so we're gonna hang here for the next round," Rin said.

"Uh...we?"

"Yeah, She-Oh, come on..." Rin dropped Lincoln on the floor and stormed off to the lounge area, "WE WERE ALMOST LATE BECAUSE OF YOUR HAIR OBSESSION!"

"Do you know how hard it is to maintain flawless hair in the heat of battle?!" Cecilia shouted.

"YOU'RE A PILOT! NOT A TRASHY PAGEANT QUEEN! GET OVER IT!"

Lincoln sat up, "Yep...I'm in some kind of weird little world, heh..." He then looked up and saw Houki onscreen. He saw her landing some very good attacks with her sword, but he noticed her losing control of her emotions from time to time, causing her to suffer some nasty hits. Still, she emerged victorious by a substantial margin.

"Sheesh," Lincoln thought, "She really needs to take a chill pill."

"You're telling me," Rin sat down on the armchair, "Though I think Alcott might give Houki a run for her money."

"What? Is she more violent?"

"Haha, I wish! No, Cecilia is way too methodical for my liking. Like, "the enemy is right in front of you blast the snot out of her" type thing."

Cecilia was right behind her, very offended by what Rin had to say, and got into a verbal scuffle with her, "Excuse me?! She has a very obvious trap laid out for us! I thought you would have caught onto that by now!"

"They had traps among traps among traps! I don't see your hair doing anything to drill us out of that giant pit in the sky!"

They got in each other's grill again.

"Geez..." Lincoln scratched his head, "and I thought Lynn and Lola had bad blood."

"If you think that's bad," Akina tapped his shoulder, "check out who's coming up next."

Lincoln checked the tournament bracket. He skimmed over her name the first time, but this time he caught sight of another American, "Tina? Hey, who's Tina Hamilton?"

"Oh, her!" Rin clapped her hands, "She's my roommate! She's the current IS Representative Contender of the USA!"

"Huh? How come I never heard of her?"

Rin took a moment to think about her roommate, "I'm betting it's because she couldn't stand the idea of another American-" deep voice "-USURPING THE GOD GIVEN BIRTHRIGHT-" normal voice "-or something like that."

"She really said that?..." Lincoln gulped.

"Pay no attention to any of her attempts to intimidate you," Cecilia said, "I have faith that Ichika will defeat her."

"Are you surrrrrrre?" Rin got in her head, "She has her own personal unit, too. The Iron Maiden."

"Ha!" Cecilia scoffed, "A defensive-type IS that relies heavily on armor and predictable surprise attacks. I'd say that's barely worth any concern."

Rin got up in Cecilia's ear, "And that blondie's figure is more curvaceous than yours."

Cecilia mentally shut down for a few seconds. When she came back, she zipped past the group and stood in the holding area, where a good number of people could hear her screaming, "ICHIKA, IF YOU LOSE TO THAT FRENCH FRY CONNOISSEUR, I WILL RAIN DOWN A THOUSAND NEEDLES UPON YOUR THROAT!"

Ichika and Charles were in another locker room when they heard that ominous threat, albeit heavily muffled by the running water and closed doors.

"Did you hear something?" Charles asked.

"Nope," Ichika said while doubling down on his face washing.

The final match of the first round had come. Ichika and Charles were standing on the field staring down their opponents on the opposite side. They were determined to make it to the top, while one of their opponents...

"So, we finally meet at last, Ichika!" ...just wanted to make a good impression.

"Yeah...don't know why we didn't..." Ichika mustered an uneasy grin, "You're Miss Hamilton?"

BYAKUSHIKI — SHIELD 100%

"Uh-huh!" Tina gave a thumbs up, "and you better remember it because I'm gonna stomp you into the ground!"

IRON MAIDEN — SHIELD 110%

"Well then," Charles said, "shall we get started?"

RAFAEL REVIVE CUSTOM II — SHIELD 100%

"Let's have ourselves a good fight!" Honne waved.

UCHIGANE (SAMURAI) — SHIELD 95%

Lincoln ran to the holding area's closeup screen, "Hey, over here! They're about to start!"

"Oh, I hope my dear Ichika can whip that yankee into shape," Cecilia said.

"I'm over here..."

The combatants took a few seconds to gather themselves for the imminent struggle ahead. Their time was up when the buzzer sounded to begin the match.

At that instant, Ichika flung himself straight at Tina, "YAAAAAAAAAAA-" BOP "-UGH!" Only for a punch to fling him back to the starting position.

"Ichika?!" Charles flew past him on his way to Honne. He saw what punched the BYAKUSHIKI and narrowly avoided a swing. Then, he fired several rounds at Tina before he had to avoid Honne's sword strikes. "Could I use a little help?!" He screamed while having to deal with a combination attack from Honne and Tina.

"I'm coming!" Ichika used the Ignition Boost to knock Honne out of Charles's range, "Missed?!" He and Honne slid to the wall, but they were able to regain their footing by slamming their swords against each other.

"Thanks, Ichika!" Charles switched to his combat knife and lunged at Tina, only to be countered by a heavy blow to the gut and a missile to the head.

Lincoln flinched after seeing Charles take a big hit, "Oof... I don't know how to make a good comeback from that..."

"What are they doing?!" Cecilia was going off for a different reason, "Did they forget about the front-double-crosscourt?!"

"Double wuh?..."

"Oh, for Christ's sake! How did you not see that attack coming!"

"Ok, settle down, Cece! You want to beat him, remember?!"

"I know what I said!"

"Take it easy, Drillago!" Rin playfully smacked her back, "It's not like they can hear us."

"AGH! Oww..." Cecilia hunched over momentarily, then got in Rin's face again, "Don't you go spouting wisdom you keep neglecting, Miss Restaurant Fan!" She was further enraged when Rin stuck out her tongue.

"Settle down, you two!" Lincoln yanked their hair, bringing their heads down to his level, "You missed the good stuff!"

Rin and Cecilia were shocked. During their little argument, Tina and Honne managed to back Ichika and Charles against the wall, right below the holding area they were all held up in.

"Any ideas?" Ichika whispered.

"Just one," Charles responded, "You will engage Miss Hamilton for the remainder of the fight, but only when she comes at you."

"I don't think I can wait that long..." Ichika panicked.

Tina caught that instantaneous hesitation, "Caught you sweating!" She raced forward with all her power and virtually slammed herself into Ichika. Her right fist connected with his sword and pushed him against the wall.

But that's when Ichika remembered what he did with Lincoln the weekend before the Class Rep match. He kept hitting everything that was thrown at him. He hit everything that tried to hit him at the points where he thought that they would hit him.

He rushed towards Tina with all his might, taking care to avoid any incoming projectile attacks. When he was within CQC range, he stayed there, swinging his sword at her fists or legs only when she attacked. It wasn't a quick battle, but it prevented her from using her missile launcher.

And it got under her skin, "Hey! Get away from me! Let me shoot you!"

"And prevent me from getting to Houki?! No way!" Ichika shouted.

"What is she to you, anyway?!" Tina said while trying to fend him off, "She's not a Representative Contender or anybody special like that!"

"She's my childhood friend!" Ichika increased the intensity, "Childhood friend! Have you heard of that?!"

"Oh my," Charles whispered to himself, "he said the beloved..." He immediately performed rapid switch and pulled out his sub machine gun and assault rifle. Then he ran towards Honne.

And Honne was already on her way to Ichika with a hint of jealousy, "Do you want another childhood friend?!" She was about to strike him when she was interrupted by Charles.

"I'm sorry, Miss Nohotoke, but Orimura is not your opponent!" Charles screamed while pelting Honne with a nonstop stream of bullets.

"Ow! Hey!" Honne struggled, "Stop!...Doing!...That!..." And she kept getting pelted with bullets until her shield energy ran out, "Agh! Owww...Hey, wha..."

UCHIGANE (SAMURAI) — SHIELD 0 (EMPTY)

"Apologies, Honne..." Charles said.

"Heheh..." Honne wore a sad smile, "So, that's it, huh..."

"Oh, it's not the end of-WAAAAA-" Charles was suddenly caught in a massive fight cloud created by Ichika and Tina. He didn't realize how much of a fight Tina would put up, even resorting to point-blank tactics to shake them off. He managed to get himself caught in her hammer fists and his sword after they tussled with each other's wing units. "Ok! You've made your point!" He busted out his shield piercing pile bunker and slammed it into Tina, but the aftershock cause him to elbow Ichika in the face.

Thankfully, Ichika was able to vault over it and score one more slash on Tina, giving Charles enough time to follow up with the finishing blow.

IRON MAIDEN — SHIELD 0 (EMPTY)

"THE MATCH IS CONCLUDED. THE WINNER IS ICHIKA ORIMURA AND CHARLES DUNOIS."

"Wha-huh?!" Tina stammered after her IS beeped, "How the hell did you beat me?!"

"Whew...heck if I know..." Ichika stood behind her, "Maybe it has to do with my sword."

"You're sword?" Tina piped, "You mean, you're seriously Chifuyu's brother?!"

"Yeah, I thought you would have known by now."

"No, I just figured that..." Tina deleted whatever was in her head, "So, does that mean you've got your big sis's battle smarts?"

"Well, I-"

Charles popped up in between them, "Uh, not exactly..." and displayed his duo's remaining shield energy:

RAFAEL REVIVE CUSTOM II - SHIELD 72/100%

BYAKUSHIKI — SHIELD 3/100% (CRITICAL)

"Oh..." Ichika shrunk in his IS.

"Whoa!" Tina gasped, "He didn't get hit that badly, did he?"

"It's because he kept using the Barrier Disabling Attack and the Ignition Boost," Charles explained, "Powerful abilities that, as you just saw, consume a hefty amount of energy."

"Really? So, he was basically gambling?"

"Recklessly, Yes."

"Guys?" Ichika waved, "I'm right here?"

Lincoln, Rin, and Cecilia all let out a collective sigh of relief when they saw that Ichika was advancing to the next round.

"Wow, that was close..." Lincoln wiped his tuft clean.

"And you thought he wouldn't make it," Rin nudged.

"Well, that's just-"

"Oh, I'm fairly positive about his faith in our dear friend," Cecilia patted his head, "Yours, not so much."

"Did you forget what you were rambling on about two seconds ago?" And Rin was at it again.

"At least I know what I was rambling about," and so was Cecilia, "I couldn't understand your 'feelings' because they were incoherent gibberish."

"Better than that Cross Creek Double McTwisty whatever you were blabbing about, Little Miss Knowitall!"

"It's the Double Cross Turn Strike! Get it right, restaurant maid!"

They shared one more glare and growl before Lincoln clapped his hands.

"Ok, you two!" He said, "We get the general idea! Can you two drop the act and get ready for the next round?"

"Oh, alright," Rin shrugged, "I guess there's no point shouting when we have our ISs to do it for us."

"The only one who's putting on an act is Laura," Cecilia snapped, "Her and her little fluffy bundle of rage. I know how she truly acts."

"Oh boy..." Rin slumped.

"Hey, word of advice?" Lincoln put his hands up, "Maybe don't go there?"

"I'll go wherever I damn well please," Cecilia haughtily declared, "so she can just drop the act and face me already."

"I'm over here."

"Guh?!" Everyone jumped when Laura appeared behind their backs.

"I'm not putting on any act whatsoever," Laura taunted, "In fact, I recall that faded glory having to come to your pitiful rescue."

Lincoln immediately tried to ease his partner, "Laura, it's under control. You don't have to-"

"Step aside, Loud," Laura shoved him off and walked towards Cecilia.

"Please," Cecilia scoffed, "had I been allowed to battle you without Rin getting in my way, I would've claimed total victory."

"You mean, you would have lasted five seconds longer than that cheap Chinese girl, then I couldn't imagine anything else."

"What's that you said, emo woman?!" Rin snapped.

Lincoln's ears twitched. He heard it all before, and so he decided to end it before it began, "LAURA! CECILIA! RIN! STAND DOWN!"

Rin, Cecilia, and Laura were floored by how loud, voluminous and authoritative Lincoln's voice was. They couldn't help but silence themselves, Laura most of all because in that exact moment, she envisioned him as her former general, the same person who benched her for being unable to control her supposed upgrade.

"Let's go," Lincoln ordered, "We have a fight to prepare for."

Laura thought about talking back to him, but a disapproving headshake from High Card forced her to refrain. She bit her lip and walked away from the holding area.

Rin walked over to Cecilia, "Ok, what just happened?"

"He just raised his voice against me," Cecilia muttered, "I can't understand why he would do that."

"Geez, this Academy...it's making him even more of what he hates," Rin shook her head, "Come on, Let's channel our anger into the next battle...Hello?"

Cecilia stood there watching the German girl walking with the arms of the 11-turned-12-year old. She was thinking that all the bad aspects of her personality was rubbing off on him. "Now more than ever..."

"Wuzzat?" Rin heard something weird.

"Rin, we have to win this tournament no matter what!" Cecilia clasped Rin's hands, "Not only for Ichika's sake, but for Lincoln's as well!"

"What is in the dust you've been eating?..." Rin groaned.

Lincoln was refreshing himself in the sink while High Card was consoling with Laura.

"Oh my god..." Lincoln moaned, "I have never had to throw out my tonsils like that... I don't think I ever shouted out an earthquake before..."

_("__Every time you guys butt into my life, you make things worse! Well, guess what? Never again! No! More! **Meddling**!")_

"It wasn't even that loud..." He couldn't fathom what would cause him to raise his voice to that level. He tried to brush it off with another splash of cold water, but as soon as he dried his face and looked at the mirror-

("Losing your nerve?")

"AAA!" He jumped back. He scrambled back onto his feet and blinked three times. The mirror seemed normal at first, "Whew...get it out of your system...you're fine. You are fine."

("I'll say.")

"Who said that?!" until he looked at the mirror again and saw a darker version of himself.

("I saw the fight. Congratulations on getting your first win ever.")

"First..." Lincoln shook his head and steadied his mind. He turned back to the mirror, "Are you supposed to be the better version of me?"

("I'm just passing by, man. Have a little faith.")

"What are you blabbing about faith for?! You're just a reflection of a don't say it!"

("Ok, I won't.")

"Good!"

("But I gotta know...how'd it feel to finally beat them down?")

"Beat who down?"

("Kiyoka and Sayuka? Those girls who spread the news that you spilled the tournament prize? You delivered an anime-esque beatdown.")

Lincoln stopped. He mentally replayed his entire first battle with Maya and his latest battle with Kiyoka and Sayuka. The difference was as night and day as the Lincolns that were displayed in those battles. But there was a similarity in both cases.

Whatever mood he was in...he enjoyed it. He was having fun and he enjoyed it. Then somewhere along the way the fun was gone. Next thing he knew, he was beating the ever living crap out of Sayuka and driving uncertainty into Kiyoka...and he enjoyed it.

("Feels good, don't it? The power. The authority. The fear in their eyes when they see a man in a woman's weapon. The looks in their eyes when you told them to can it. That's gotta feel good, right? For the first time in a long time, you were 100% responsible for something. You were entirely in control.")

"Well...What's it to you?!" Lincoln tried to deflect the accusation, "You're not me! You're...you're the error me! A mirror reflection, only somebody made a mistake while copying me!"

("What the hell kind of nonsense is that? Just save the trouble and admit it.")

"No! I'm not gonna hulk out at everyone I see!"

("Hey, I didn't mean everyone. Just the ones that deserve it.")

"That's a big NO. Whatever I'm talking to, I'm gonna drop your baggage off the ends of existence, too."

("Hahaha...How? You've been at it for three and a half months now, and you still can't find them.")

"Well...I was gonna-" Lincoln was yanked out by High Card.

"Ok, mental trip's over," she said.

"Ah!" Lincoln turned around and expressed his annoyance, "High?! I was in the middle of something! What are you doing?!"

"It's time to get back in the tournament," High Card answered, "they announced the start of Round 2."

Lincoln instantly lost his brief spurt of irritated energy. He was called to action once more, which meant that he would have to face Laura.

And she was not at all impressed by his vocal stunt. The moment he came in her field of vision, she stormed past the other leering eyes and grabbed his arm. "You're late," she growled as she 'escorted' him to the launch pad.

"Hey, look," Lincoln mumbled, "If it's about that scene with the-"

"Your focus has clearly drifted away from our main objective," Laura silenced him, "I should remind you once more why I chose to accept your brash request."

Lincoln gulped as he was taken to the holding area, where his eyes had just caught sight of a literal sign of a bad omen:

LINCOLN LOUD - LAURA BODEWIG vs AKINA SHINOHARA - HANA SUZUKI


	21. Class Tournament: Round of 8

TOURNAMENT BRACKET PLACEMENT : ROUND OF 8

MATCH 9: LINCOLN LOUD - LAURA BODEWIG vs AKINA SHINOHARA - HANA SUZUKI

MATCH 10: REI HONDA - TOMO TANAZAKI vs CECILIA ALCOTT - LINGYIN HUANG

MATCH 11: MEGUMI WATANABE - YUKARI TAKINO vs HOUKI SHINONONO - KANZASHI SARASHIKI

MATCH 12: HIROKO TANAKA - KAZUMI MOMOSE vs ICHIKA ORIMURA - CHARLES DUNOIS

"This is insane," Lincoln thought, "I can't stomp on Hana. Akina, she can take it and dish it back, but...Hana?"

"You can't say you're backing out at this stage of the game," Laura said, "We've already come this far."

"Well..if you say so..." Lincoln was having mixed feelings. After his most recent rage battle with two people, he didn't consider going against his friends right afterwards.

Laura stood him in front of the monitor, "This is our last battle before we have to face off against the other Representative Contenders. Our enemies are both suited in the Uchigane Yumi. Fairly easy, no?"

"No...ah, yes! Yes, this will...this won't be a problem..."

"Good. So, what's our battle plan?"

Lincoln stared at the data screen, trying to figure out the least brutal method to winning the battle. He just had one look across the arena, and all its vast sea of concerned glances and whispers, and a viable plan came to his mind, "You get Akina. I'll get Hana."

Laura doubted him, "What is your reasoning?"

Lincoln scrambled for a reason to convince Laura. He tried to appeal to her admiration for power, "Well, I just...I knew that we're gonna win anyway, so...maybe you could show Akina a few things?"

"I could..." Laura saw right through his words, "... but then, you'd take far too long with Suzuki."

"Huh?"

"I know you're preoccupied with your friends," Laura walked past him and deployed, "Did you think I would forget what you said right before I presented you with the data?"

"Ugh..." Lincoln was caught, "Ok... I give. It worked on everyone else, so I thought that-"

"Enough," Laura stopped him, "I will engage Suzuki. You will occupy Shinohara until I am finished."

"Huh?!" Lincoln ran out to catch her, "Laura?! Are you nut-" He ended up jumping off the launch platform and had to deploy his IS to land safely.

Only to be met with several voices calling him a bully and begging his opponents to take him out.

"Oh man, do I have a rabbit hole or what?" Lincoln muttered.

SAVVY SUITE — READY

"Well, little Loud," Akina joked, "I guess you're lucky this bad luck crud's run its course."

"Um...good luck, Lincoln!" Hana cheered.

2x UCHIGANE (YUMI) — READY

Lincoln nodded, but Laura scoffed and already marked Hana as her main target.

SCHWARZER REGEN — READY

Lincoln caught the shivers coming from Hana. He waited for the area to fall silent to retain his focus on his personal objective. Then, at the buzzer...

-FIGHT!-

"High Card!" Lincoln swayed left while Laura charged ahead.

SAVVY SUITE — SHIELD 81/100%

"You called?" High Card appeared latched to his back hidden under his wing units.

HIGH CARD — SHIELD 20%

"I need you to keep an eye on Laura," Lincoln whispered, "Make sure she doesn't lose it mid battle."

"I had a feeling you'd say that," High Card said, "Alright, but don't you lose yourself either." When Lincoln collided with Akina, High Card dismounted from his cape and landed in the middle of the arena. "Now then, let's get a good look at your poker faces," she tapped her cell phone and opened up an emotional app that displayed each combatant's emotional reading as emojis.

And Laura was reading as the verbally censored emoji. "Of course," High Card sighed.

Laura was giving Hana the beat down of her life. She knew Hana was slightly timid, so she hustled her using CQC only. Hana tried to get some distance, but she kept getting reeled in by the wire daggers and the AIC.

"You cower in the face of strength," Laura taunted, "How unbecoming of a pilot!" She knocked Hana away with a kick, then immediately rushed her to attempt a grab. But she missed Hana loading her staff now with ammo while getting hit. So, when Laura rushed her, she let a smoke-arrow slip into her range-BOOM-"AGH!"

SCHWARZER REGEN — SHIELD 92/100%

UCHIGANE (Hana) — SHIELD 61/100%

"Ok...go now!" Hana took a note from Lincoln to go in for the assault the moment her enemy was disoriented. She continued to fire while closing in on Laura's position, but just when she was about to swing down, "AAAAAA-uhh?!"

Laura trapped Hana in her AIC anyway.

"Well, Well..." Laura muttered, "You do have some fire in you after all."

"Uh...Wha...how..." Hana became scared once she looked into Laura's menacing eyes.

"You had the steel to strike at my head," Laura readied her railgun, "For that, you will perish," and fired at point-blank.

UCHIGANE (Hana) — SHIELD 44/100%

"AAAAAAAAAA!" Hana was blown across the arena.

Laura was already hot on her trail. When she was too seconds away from striking her again, she tried to project her AIC once more, "...Wha?!" but it wouldn't appear, giving Hana another free hit. Laura swatted her away and tried to project her AIC again but it still wouldn't appear. Hana was able to get herself to long-range and pelted Laura with arrows. Laura got very angry and engaged in long-ranged combat with Hana until she got a hit in. Then, she tried again to hit Hana with her AIC, but this time when the barrier wouldn't appear, she flipped herself over and kicked Hana down while firing her railgun...

-BOOM!-

"Gggck..." and High Card was the one targeted, "Too easy to guard."

HIGH CARD — SHIELD 10/20% (WARNING)

"Loud ordered you, didn't he?" Laura turned her railgun directly to the phone savvy sidekick.

Lincoln was countering Akina's arrows when High Card alerted him to Laura's change of alliance. He rushed out several hits on Akina before he heard the railgun charging. He merged his wing units into a shield and threw it to High Card, who blocked Laura's shots just in time for Hana to blast Laura away from High Card's range. But he himself was open to Akina's CQC attacks- "WAAA-OOF!"

"Pay attention to your own damn self!" Akina went wild with her bow staff.

"Agh-Hey-Ow!" Lincoln lost his rhythm and got throttled like a ball bound to the paddle, "Hawkeye better be gratef-" THUD "-fUUOOOOLLL..."

Meanwhile, Laura had Hana pinned down on the floor and landed a gigantic shot. She was about to launch her wire daggers at Hana when High Card threw the wing shield and blocked the wires from reaching out.

"Tch...I knew he'd be too soft," Laura abandoned Hana in favor of firing at Lincoln.

"Oh, boy..." Lincoln blasted away from Akina. He led her on a chase where he tried to dodge as many arrows as he could. He couldn't dodge some of the arrows, but the ones he did avoid were aimed at Hana and Laura.

"Agh! Ah! Ow!" And Laura got hit with plenty of them, "Why you-" she started to pursue Lincoln, firing nonstop.

"Holy!" Lincoln and Akina quickly evaded. Lincoln dodged Laura's gunfire so that those shots would hit Akina.

Hana took advantage of the distraction and rammed into Laura's back, but she was flipped over and knocked into the wall, giving her a clear opening for Laura to capitalize on. She was reeled in by the wire daggers and repeatedly bashed until she was a few hits away from losing her energy.

Laura held Hana up by her neck, "Had enough?"

"Ngh...not yet..." Hana gasped.

"Well, then," Laura wired Hana to the ground and took aim, "Have all you can get." But when her railgun was about to fire, High Card threw the wing shield at it, causing Laura to misfire. Lincoln led Akina close to the ground and right into a collision with the Schwarzer Regen, while he tended to Hana.

"Hey, you ok?" Lincoln asked.

"I think so..." Hana weakly smiled.

UCHIGANE (Hana) — SHIELD 3/100% (CRITICAL)

"Come on," Lincoln dusted her off, "Let's get you outta here."

"Ah, actually-" Hana tried to warn him about dusting her sides, but...

UCHIGANE (Hana) — SHIELD 0 (EMPTY)

...him cleaning her off was enough to lock her IS.

"Oh...Oops..." they chuckled.

"LOOK OUT!" High Card threw the wing shield and knocked them both off balance, barely missing a stray arrow.

Akina and Laura were trapped in fierce combat. They were firing and ducking under shots at each other, completely oblivious to the dust they erupted from the ground.

Or the ferocity growing inside Laura.

"I gotta go," Lincoln held his hand behind him, and the wing shield came to High Card's left arm, "High Card, stay with Hana." He blasted off into the giant dust cloud and waited. He looked everywhere for any kind of disturbance in the clouds. He did jolt a bit when he heard several clashes echo throughout the dust, but then he realized he had scattershot options, "Oh, right..." he flew above the ground and charged a full deck before throwing it all over the area where Laura and Akina were fighting.

Or rather, where Laura was nailing Akina against the ground with a foot.

"Oof!" Akina strained, "I think I see why he partnered with y-AAAAGH..."

"Ruhig, Dummkopf!" Laura strung up Akina's neck with a wire and readied her railgun, "This 'friend' nonsense ends now-AGH!" She was interrupted by Lincoln's 52-Card Scatter.

"AaAaAaAaAaAaAaAaAaAa~~~" Lincoln rained heavy fire on the ground, shunting away any chance of Laura injuring Akina.

UCHIGANE (Akina) — SHIELD 0 (EMPTY)

SAVVY SUITE — SHIELD 65/100%

SCHWARZER REGEN — SHIELD 84/100%

"THE MATCH IS CONCLUDED. THE WINNER IS LINCOLN LOUD AND LAURA BODEWIG."

Laura was not satisfied with the announcement. She immediately withdrew her IS and sought to confront him with his most recent brazen attack, but she was stopped by High Card.

"Think about what you're gonna do to everyone around you," High Card said.

"I have," Laura pushed her aside.

Lincoln had dismounted Hana from her IS, and they were in the process of detaching Akina from hers.

"How the hell can this IS do the splits?..." Lincoln wondered.

"Don't know," Akina removed her legs from the cockpit thanks to Lincoln's help, and Hana was able to carry her down, "Don't freaking care...that was all kinds of scary!"

"Enough banter!" Laura was quick to lock eyes with all three of them. She released a wire and pulled Lincoln away from them, amidst all the booing and whining coming from the stands. She didn't care what they thought because she didn't believe they held a candle to her. Lincoln, however, was a match for her, so she was starting to care about what he did around her, at least in terms of combat and conduct in her barracks. By the time she returned to the holding area, she was livid.

She dropped him by the monitor, "Now, explain yourself!"

"Ow..." Lincoln groaned, "Long story short, I couldn't let you go full-on super soldier on them, so I had High Card keep tabs on you."

"So you could save your precious mental commodities, is that it?"

Lincoln got angry at the sound of that line, "Have you ever heard of friendship?! Camaraderie?! Trust?! Do those words exist in your dictionary?!"

"How do you expect camaraderie on the battlefield?! There are no friends in battle! You will most certainly be killed unless you are killing them!"

"I just turned 12 today! How do you expect me to already be a fully developed Terminator?!"

"When I was 11, I was trained by the best of the best in world-class IS pilots. I never hesitated to do what was necessary to achieve my objectives. Where were you?!"

"I was at home, living a _normal _life, with _normal _friends, and a _normal _childhood!"

"Were you cushioned by a _normal_ family as well-"

Lincoln lost it, "Are you talking about some of the most MORALLY INCOMPETENT SIBLINGS I'VE EVER HAD THE DISPLEASURE OF BEING RELATED TO-bmhmh?!" He quickly covered his mouth.

He was heard by Cecilia and Rin and who else was in the locker room at that time, and they were all stunned by what he said about his own family. He even stunned Laura, who had never once talked about any of her superiors like that, not even when she was classified as a defect.

Lincoln ran out.

"Where are you going?" Laura shouted.

"I'm gonna forfeit the competition!"

Laura ran after him, "Oh, don't you dare!"

Cecilia pushed Rin out of Laura's way. When Laura was gone, she just shook her head, "I swear, the dynamics of their relationship is more tangled than my split ends."

"Can we get off your hair for just a moment?" Rin griped, "We have another win to score."

Lincoln was stomping his way to the control room, angry at himself for throwing his own sisters under the bus. Not because he said it, but because he didn't believe it 100%. Why he couldn't bring himself to believe his own words he would never know. All he knew was that he had to get himself out before he made it worse for them...for Laura... he suddenly stopped in front of the control room, five seconds away from knocking on the door.

Why did he partner with Laura? At first, it was to prevent her from lashing out at anyone else, but that didn't work out so well. But he kept at it, trying to get to the root of her issues, and the more he kept going with her, the more he saw himself in her. He felt like if he stayed home, he would have become what Laura was, a battle-hardened soldier who had thrown away all concept of kindness in favor of survival of the fittest.

He wanted to see if he could win out over his own inner darkness. He wanted to confront himself. But it looked like it was too much for him, so he wanted to quit the tournament. He wanted to...but he would be leaving a big mess behind. He called his own sisters morally incompetent, after all. But he himself has hit and bounced back from rock bottom so many times that they would have learned something-

"Oh, why do I even..." he dropped his hand and shuffled his way back.

Meanwhile, Laura and High Card were searching frantically for Lincoln. They already covered all four holding areas with no luck, so they had to break at the arena entrance.

"Where the hell could he be hiding?!" Laura shouted, "Can you track him, High Card?!"

High Card opened a tracking app but found a big red X instead, "Literally what..." she turned to Laura, "He's locked all communication. We can only find him in person."

"Damn that conniving little snake," Laura hissed, "He will be punished for this!"

"Now, hold on a dang second," High Card stopped her, "What is your fascination with him?"

"How dare you?!" Laura snapped, "He is nothing more than a tool for absolute victory!"

"If that was all, then you wouldn't be out here..." High Card stopped midway to connect the dots. If he was just a tool, she would never have took him under her wing and trained him for the tournament. Unless...she valued him. To what extent she didn't know, but there's an easy way to find out. She immediately assumed the most outlandish conclusion she could think of, "...*GASP* Oh my gosh, he's you if you were born in a normal home!"

"What nonsense are you speaking now?" Laura demanded before tapping a hidden earring communicating device, "Clarissa, come in. I have an emergency."

"Ah, commander Bodewig," a German woman slightly younger than Laura responded, "What is your situation?"

"It's my spineless associate, Loud. He means to forfeit the competition, and neither I nor his bimbo tech addict of a sidekick were able to track him down," Laura earned a tongue diss from High Card.

"I have his handicap signature on lock. Less than a minute ago, he was in front of the arena's control room, but then he turned the other way."

"Good," Laura darted off with High Card tagging along.

"Wait, are you trying to find him?" Clarissa asked, "What for?"

"For desertion! If he flees, then there's no end to the unnecessary baggage that I'll have to contend with!"

"But nothing will happen if he withdraws. You can defeat Orimura and Dunois simultaneously."

"Not likely. Those rotting candles have already seen too much. My AIC is single-target only."

"That's not what you said during your prototype match in Germany!" Clarissa exclaimed.

"Are you just making up excuses now?" High Card asked.

"This does not concern you, blonde Schlampe!" Laura snapped.

"He's my superhero, so yes it does," High Card retorted.

"I believe it is best for you to abandon him as well," Clarissa said, "You only have one more match before Orimura, and you've beaten Huang and Alcott before-"

Laura was already overwhelmed with Lincoln's sudden departure, but this conversation was just making it worse. So much so that she-

"This isn't about the damn fight!-BPHMPHM?!"

-let slip that. It caused everyone to stop what they were doing.

"O...k..." High Card was slightly disturbed by that line. She dialed on her cellphone, "Hello, Miss Harfouch? This is High Card."

HIGH CARD — SHIELD 7/20% (WARNING)

"Yes, I've heard a great deal about you," Laura heard Clarissa say. She quickly disconnected her signal and ran off.

But it was too late. High Card had already merged signals to her phone, "Quick question, what does Miss Bodewig talk to you about in her reports?"

"Well, most of the details are confidential," Clarissa answered, "but I am allowed to say that about two-thirds of her reconnaissance is Lincoln-based."

"What?..." High Card was even more stumped, "Uh...mostly about combat abilities and...IS data?..."

And out of Clarissa's end of the comm line came, "That's only half her Lincoln-based reporting. The other half contains his mannerisms and personality traits, which under German law is not confidential."

"That's ok," High Card muttered, "I got all the information I needed...more than I needed..."

"Very good," Clarissa disconnected.

"Oh my good golly goshness, I was riiiiiiiiiight..." High Card mouthed, "Night has gotta hear this!" And she fizzled out of existence.

Meanwhile, Laura was running around the halls, distancing herself from whatever idea was implanted in her head thanks to High Card and Clarissa. She didn't mean to say that, but she was so overburdened with her personal mission and trying to keep Lincoln in line that she never thought she would say that. Laura slowed to a halt, just now fully catching herself getting concerned over the fact that she was close to losing her partner, which she didn't understand. She could win this whole tournament by herself if she wanted to. Lincoln shouldn't be a thing of 'importance' to her. So, what exactly happened? Why was she going out of her way to find him? More importantly, why did he pal around her? Of all the people he considered to be close to him, why did it have to be her, and for a very good part of her stay in the Academy?

_("Weil ich nicht zustimme...Tatsächlich werde ich niemals bejahen, dass du mein Feind bist.")_

In fact, it was before she first met him that he had his first conversation. And even then, he spoke to her as if he was already acquainted with her. From that moment on, he never stopped speaking to her. Why was that? What was it about her that attracted him to that extent?

"No," she muttered, "I cannot blind myself with such thoughts...I must stay the course no matter what." She went back to prepare for the semifinals, and that's when she bumped into Hana and Akina.

"Oh, sorry, I didn't-UAAA!" Hana yelped.

"Leave it to me, Hans," Akina stepped out in front and got into her fighting stance, "I may not be able to beat you in the open, but I can nail you in this crowed confined space!"

"I'm not here to fight," Laura said.

"...huh?"

Lincoln was wandering around the locker room where Ichika and Charles were preparing for their match. He didn't see one of the students giving him a dirty scowl, and got shoved into the room, where there were many more students surrounding Ichika.

"Lincoln?" Ichika said, "What'cha doing here, man?"

"No, Ichika!" A student tried to yank him away, "Stay with us, ple-"

Ichika had enough, "WOULD YOU BUTT OUT?!" He jerked his hand away from her and walked to Lincoln, "You don't look so good...Let's get you freshened up."

That prompted (almost) all the females to groan.

"We're no longer welcome here!" Sayuka screamed.

"Come on," one of them said, "Let's go somewhere that's not a damp in our hair..." The room was cleared within seconds.

"Sorry about that," Ichika said, "These girls have been clacking me since the thing was announced."

"Can you blame him?" Charles jokes, "He looks like he just came from Heaven," and tapped Ichika's back, triggering his wing units to unfurl.

"Aaa! Hey!"

"Hehe, sorry!"

"Oh, lord..." Lincoln groaned at the sound of the S-word, before Charles appeared behind him and airlifted him over a couch. "Uh...What's the big..."

"Has Laura been giving you the spiky shoulder?" Charles asked.

"Was it that obvious?"

"Oui. We did just see you prevent her from committing any brutalities."

"Oh..." Lincoln rubbed his neck, "Just this match..."

"Hey, I have to ask," Ichika sat down next to him, "Why did you want to pal around with Laura?"

"I'm... not entirely sure..." Lincoln answered, "Though I think the "lightning rod" thing has worn out its usefulness two weeks ago."

Ichika and Charles looked at each other.

Then, Charles said, "Do you see yourself in her?"

"Eh?!" Lincoln stammered, "No, it's not like that! I swear I'm not trying her out or anything!"

Charles smirked, "I never suggested such a thing."

Then, Night Club suddenly made her presence behind Lincoln, "Sorry, little man, but..." YEEAAAHHHH! "OHOHOHOHHH, SNAP!"

"Ok," Lincoln pretended to pull out a notepad, "Out of my laundry list of excuses, What's the most believable?"

"There's no need, I think," Ichika patted him, "I'm sure she'll come around soon, after all the talking you two did."

"True," Charles said, "Not even she could ignore the obligatory morning greeting."

Meanwhile, Laura turned down a fight for the first time in her life to have a plain conversation with Lincoln's friends. She needed an outlet for her frustrations, so she told them everything that was on her mind since the tournament's announcement, and what she got in response was...

"Yeesh..." Akina gasped, "I was joking when I said he had German heritage, but...wow!"

"Don't overthink it," Laura growled.

"I kid, I kid," Akina wagged her hand.

"Is he really that relatable?" Hana squirmed, "You say he's like you?"

"If he was, he would not have been this difficult to tolerate," Laura seethed.

"Ohhhhh," Akina piped, "Is he a younger you?"

Laura stopped in the middle and slammed a metal fist into the wall.

"Sorry, sorry," Akina said while carrying a shivering Hana on her back, "Didn't mean to overheat you..."

"He's my worst half," Laura blurted out, "He always acts so broken. He's like a wounded dog, begging for attention from everyone, retreating to his corner in the face of adversity...it sickens me..."

Akina instantly thought of all the stories about Laura that Lincoln told her. She slowly approached Laura, "Ok...so, is he a defective 'you', or..."

"Aki, stop," Hana pointed.

Akina saw Laura clutched her own heart, and that silenced her.

Deep down, Laura knew. The Lincoln She was chasing now was the Laura that was classified as a defect. Getting shunned by everyone around her, having only her superiors to turn to for tough advice and even tougher methods of coping with the sudden change, and using non-IS missions and training as the only means of escaping from the cruel cruel world...Every time Laura even looked at him, she had flashes of everything that happened to her before Chifuyu came to Germany. She did everything to get away from him, but much like her past, he wouldn't leave her alone.

Laura had to get it off her chest, "He's the disease I needed to cure...but now, he's infected me with it..."

"That's a bit...much..." Hana suddenly had an idea, "You ever wonder where his strength comes from?"

"What kind of power could you possibly attain from this inadequate emotion?" Laura snapped.

And then, "Well...What about that?" They all heard laughing coming from the locker room next to them. They listened in on the ongoing hilarity.

"I'M NOT A MAN, **I'M NOT A MAN!**"

"Ok, let's get off that for a sec..."

"Why do I feel like I should use that line?"

"Please, don't."

"But it's true, isn't it?"

"That's why Charles shouldn't use it!"

"Who wants to squeeze out a little bit of juice before the finals?"

"What kind of question is that?!"

It was Lincoln, Rin, and Charles. All on different teams that will be required to fight each other, and yet here they were, throwing jokes around like they were well acquainted with each other.

Something Laura clearly didn't understand, "Even now..."

"I don't get why he does some things either," Hana said, "but I think that's where he draws his strength from."

"Those people?"

"No...his interac...tions, I guess?" Hana didn't know for sure either, since he did a beat down on Kiyoka and Sayuka, "Friends. Relationships. Scary what they can do to a person."

And in came Akina to ruin the moment, "You gave me this bear 'cause of love, so I'll give this bear 'cause of love."

"Blugh...really?..." Hana reacted.

"Hey, don't say you weren't thinking it," Akina laughed.

"I wasn't before you put that in my head!"

Laura was only looking at the two opponents he was conversing with, wondering what on earth they did to him before she arrived on the campus.

Then came Ichika from the holding area, "Charles, it's our turn! Suit up!"

"Oh, looks like it's time," Charles got up and left, "Adieu pour le moment!"

"I gotta go too," Rin waved, "I need to prepare for your second beatdown."

"Oh, I see how it is," Lincoln responded, "You're actually scared I'll beat you!"

"Whaaaat? With your lackluster performance so far? Not a chance!"

They shared at laugh before Rin and Lincoln parted.

Lincoln left the locker room and found Laura waiting outside, "Laura? What are-how'd you get here?"

"Same way you did," Laura said, "I walked."

"Oh...then, let's walk back," Lincoln walked ahead of her. Halfway through the halls, he became curious as to why she would come to him, "Say, were you trying to find me?"

"Yes...against better judgement."

"Huh...why?"

"*SIGH...* There's a reasonable doubt in my mind," Laura said, "I believe Orimura and Dunois have seen two much and know the shortcomings of my AIC."

"That's all..." Lincoln kept silent until they made it back to their holding area, "Ok, let's suit up."

At which point Laura became confused, "I don't understand. Haven't you forfeited?"

"No," Lincoln said, "I changed my mind."

"What? Why?"

"*SIGH...*" Lincoln just went out with it, "I'm fighting something inside me, and I cannot fight it alone. I have to get rid of my inner demons."

Laura stopped at the entrance, "What demons?!" She stood flabbergasted as Lincoln went to the sink. She started to wonder who made him think of such a random, and shocking thing to say.

But she never bothered to find out, until the moment he washed his face...

("You won't.")

"Who said that?" Lincoln gasped.

("Who do you think, assfart?")

Lincoln looked up in the mirror, "...oh no."

("You won't do it. You don't have the guts.")

"Would you get out of my head?!"

("I already told you, dipthis. I'm You. You're too dickheaded to accept that.")

"No you ain. You're just a figment if my imagination!"

("And imagination comes from real life experiences. Doi.")

"What is your problem?!"

("You're my problem. You won't embrace your own strength. Your stronger than you know, and yet...again, you won't live up to your potential.")

"Wha...that's sickening! Who gets strength from beating up other people?!"

("Look behind you.")

"Eh?" Lincoln turned around, "Gyaa-when did-"

"Sag kein anderes Wort," Laura saw it too, in the mirror standing alongside Lincoln's reflection. A different version of Laura, whose heart was hardened even further by relentless combat and brutal experience. Answering only to the point of power, and responding to no one beneath her. She was pushed to the peak of IS weaponry, but at a huge cost. She committed so much of herself to her quest for strength...she'd become nothing more than a robot, capable only of following orders.

Laura didn't move. She just stood behind him, "So...this is the demon you were referencing?"

"No," Lincoln answered, "I was just... trying to..." rather weakly. He had it in his head. He thought that if he stayed home, stayed inside that Squirrel Boy costume, he would've have turned out just like her reflection.

Night Club saw them staring at their own reflection and- "ROCK OOOON!"

"AAAAA!"

-spooked them, "Couldn't resist! You two were eyeballing that thing like you saw some haunted fur suits."

Lincoln and Laura were silent.

"Really? Nothing?" Night Club groaned, "Come on! At least a-" angry old hag "SHUT UP!" normal voice "-or something."

Laura didn't pay any mind to her and walked out, "Let's go."

"Huh?" Night Club reacted, "Go where?"

"Outside. Orimura and Dunois should've finished their match by now."

Lincoln and Night Club could tell take something was off about her, Lincoln even more so.

"Uh, ok," Night Club said, "Did I miss something, or does she seem extra spooky today?"

"Who knows?" Lincoln walked out as well.

"Hey, don't you go bowing to the neon god, too!" Night Club shouted, "What the heck is with everyone today?..."

Laura approached the launch pad with a brand new emotion, one she never felt before. This didn't compare in the slightest to any of the times Chifuyu told her off. This couldn't even compare to when she was classified as a defect.

This was...hurt. In its purest form.


	22. Class Tournament: Semifinals

TOURNAMENT BRACKET PLACEMENT: SEMIFINALS

MATCH 13: LINCOLN LOUD - LAURA BODEWIG vs CECILIA ALCOTT - LINGYIN HUANG

MATCH 14: HOUKI SHINONONO - KANZASHI SARASHIKI vs ICHIKA ORIMURA - CHARLES DUNOIS

"Holy Shamoley..." Night Club gawked at the screen, "That has to be four mental luaus in one trip!"

"Mental?" Houki said, "Wait, what do you mean by four?"

"Don't you guys have like a third-place match or something?"

"Heck if I know," Houki looked over at Lincoln, who was conversing with her blue-haired partner, then at Laura, who was conversing with the open air by the gray metal. She could tell that neither of them were in any mood to continue fighting, "What's wrong with them?"

"Dunno," Night Club shrugged, "I think they saw their eeeeeviiiiiiil selves in the mirror and thought, "No! I'm supposed to be the hero!" At least, Ace is. Not sure about LaBo over there."

"Oh," Houki nodded. Then, she interrupted Lincoln and Kanzashi's conversation, "Lincoln."

"Yeah?" Lincoln responded a bit brashly.

"Uh..." Houki said, "Shouldn't you be getting ready?"

"Oh..." Lincoln stood up and went to the holding area. He saw Laura facing the open arena, arms folded, taking herself as deep into her own contemplations. He looked at the screen, and he was instantly reminded of an unseen moment in his life, when he and Lola planned an invasion of Lynn and Lucy's room, but ended up in a massive pillow fight that destroyed the house five times over.

"Those were the days..." he muttered to him self as he walked to his partner's personal space, "This is it. Just...one more battle, and we can face off against Ichika."

"Don't you have your own battle to fight?" Laura said.

"I do," Lincoln pointed to Rin and Cecilia's holding area, "It's over there," contain not-Lynn and not-Lola.

"More demons?"

"Yep...back home, they were the easiest to anger," Lincoln joked, "I treaded lightly to stay on their good side, and they ended up taking me for a scapegoat."

"What are you going on about?" Laura was pissed.

"Ok!" Night Club butt in, "Enough chitchat! Time to slug some metal! Let's get into gear!"

"Right..." Lincoln went back to the data screen to plan his move, against two pilots who defeated him in singles matches. He tried to decide his beat course of action in regards to eliminating them one at a time, without triggering any unnecessary mental flashes. He already had his moments with Rin, but he fought Cecilia plenty of times before the pictures leaked, with no mental repercussions.

And he wanted to keep it that way, "I'll take Rin and keep it in close. You feint Cecilia until-huh?"

Laura had already left for the battlefield.

"Is that good or bad?" Night Club asked him.

"It's...goo-ad..." Lincoln slumped, "I'll just mold my strategy around hers..." and joined his comrade on the field.

A little too late, as the his opponents had already started the smack talk, which was backed up by the rancorous cheering coming from the stands.

"Well, well," Cecilia said, "I never imagined our rematch to be this eventful."

"Same here," Lincoln said with a hint of hesitation, "I always envisioned us in a shooting range of sorts."

"Surely, we will resettle this at a later date," Cecilia then turned to Laura, "But I have unfinished business with her."

BLUE TEARS — READY

"Save your breath, uncultured swine," Laura hissed.

SCHWARZER REGEN — READY

"We felt sorry for your uneducated hotheadedness that we went easy on you," Rin taunted, "We won't make that mistake again."

SHENLONG — READY

Lincoln eyed Cecilia and planned his first attack.

SAVVY SUITE — READY

The entire stadium was chanting for a decisive victory from Rin and Cecilia. Houki stood by on the launch pad, trying to psych herself into the fight.

And once the buzzer sounded...

-FIGHT!-

SAVVY SUITE — SHIELD 86/100%

NIGHT CLUB — SHIELD 18%

Lincoln flew high and charged a full deck. He then threw it down and deployed Night Club, "FEVER PITCH!"

"Boom bam, baby!" Night Club let loose a deafening chord and combined it with Lincoln's 52-Card Spread, somehow turning his card bombs into frag bombs. The fight barely even started, and a few seconds in, the arena had turned into a massive mine field for everyone.

Laura was quick to dodge the frags in her range and put pressure on Rin with her wire daggers.

Cecilia, however, managed to see the attack coming and fly upward before the cards hit the ground.

"Can't escape me!" Cecilia fired her rifle at Lincoln, but her shot was bounced back by Night Club's guitar swing.

"Wasn't trying to!" Night Club shouted as she leapt onto him and let out a long guitar rift that strengthened the Suite's durability.

Lincoln blasted off towards Cecilia, shrugging off every single shot that hit him. Three times he got within arm's reach of her, only to be quickly evaded and countered by her drones, and even they posed little threat as their shots did not impact his movement at all. The fourth time he almost got Cecilia, he call out his shield and managed to throw it right at her head, allowing him to sock her and pull her into his 52-Card Pickup.

"Pick a card!" Lincoln kicked her down and pelted her with a small stack of cards. "Pick'em all!" Then he got in close and isolated her from her drones. He started to increase the intensity of his attacks and started using point-blank shots to disorient her. But the moment he got above her head,

"52 CARD PI-" BOOM! "-CKLUGH!"

Cecilia interrupted him with a pair of rockets, causing his cards to scatter all over the ground beneath them.

Rin was not at all pleased with the progress of the midair battle. She had to stop her pursuit in order to avoid the majority of the cards.

Laura was fully protected by her AIC when she saw Rin struggling to find her footing against the rain of projectiles. She dropped her guard and made a mad dash to the Shenlong, using her wire daggers to shrug off any incoming attacks, and easily getting inside Rin's CQC range. Rin tried to fire her Ryuhou, but Laura ducked under and hit Rin with a saber uppercut.

Meanwhile, Cecilia followed up a drone bombardment with a pair of direct sniper shots. Lincoln was hit with both of them, but Night Club stopped her with a guitar strum. Night Club dove down after her, prompting Cecilia to send out her rockets and drones.

"DING DONG!" Night Club avoided everything- BOOM! "OWOWOW-" POW! "PUii..." -except a rocket and a leg.

NIGHT CLUB — SHIELD 11/18%

SAVVY SUITE — SHIELD 73/100%

BLUE TEARS — SHIELD 79/90%

Lincoln was in the middle of dodging the drones when he was hit with another mind flash. Seeing Night Club grabbing Cecilia's leg reminded him of...

_("Lola, what are you doing? This is the red zone. The door is red.")_

_("Uh, hello! The carpet is green.")_

...that time when Lola escorted Luna to the red zone. Looking down didn't help either, as seeing Laura and Rin fighting each other...

_("You're always Miss Gloom and Doom! Like, would it kill you to smile once in a while?!")_

_("It would.")_

_("At least I don't smell like crusty athletic socks.")_

_("Please! Like Eau de Death is better.")_

...brought on a lot more than that.

_("I did not finish the potion. And why did you destroy the bad luck shield?")_

_("You better put that suit back on, mister! Otherwise, I'll put it on for you!")_

"This reckless guitar rage is more troublesome than I anticipated," Cecilia muttered after getting Night Club off her leg.

"Take more than that to stop the music!" Night Club charged her jet pack and guitar, "What say we-HEY!"

Lincoln suddenly veered downward.

"Uhhhh..." Night Club eyed Cecilia, "...be right back..." and flew downward.

"Don't turn your back to me!" Cecilia recalled her drones and chased after the purple black and white.

Laura was gaining the upper hand in her skirmish with Rin. She had the Shenlong on the run and pinned her down with her railgun.

"Grr, why won't this stupid fight let up?" Rin was getting frustrated.

SCHWARZER REGEN — SHIELD 83/100%

SHENLONG — SHIELD 66/110%

Laura kept firing until Rin was forced to stop and engage her in a shootout. Then, Laura stopped shooting and charged directly at Rin, not the least bit affected by the Ryuhou's gunfire. But when she was twenty yards away, she saw Lincoln try to headbutt Rin, only to get a scimitar in his hair.

Lincoln rolled away from Rin, but he still threw his cards at her. Rin easily knocked them away and flew towards him. Lincoln regained his footing and stopped in time to catch her twin blades. He skidded back a few more feet before locking arms with Rin.

"Heheh," Rin chuckled, "Doesn't this take you back?"

"To what?..." Lincoln grunted.

"That time when I held back just to let you get over your problems," Rin taunted, "and I still beat you-UEY!" For that, her scimitars were shoved into the ground, and she received a knee to her chin.

And for that knee, Lincoln was blasted in the hiney, flown into the wall, and hammered with drone fire. He drew his shield to protect himself against the drones, but nothing could protect him from Rin's incoming assault.

Laura stood on the opposite end, watching her supposed partner struggling to withstand the power of two Representative Contenders by himself. She took a few seconds to observe his facial expression while they were closing on his position, and seriously considered leaving him alone due to the 'inner demon' statement.

Night Club suddenly landed on the railgun, "What are you doing, bro?! He needs you!"

"Clearly, he doesn't," Laura responded.

"Do you not see the double whammy picking at him?!" Night Club flailed, until she saw Lincoln flash to the post-picture mindset.

When Rin was about to pin him against the wall, Lincoln grabbed her forearms and kept her close. He threw a card at her cannons, distracting her long enough for him to get a flurry of punches to her head. She was about to fly back, but he tripped her and jammed his leg into her gut.

"Ok, I know he shouldn't be able to do that," Night Club muttered, right before two drones fired at her, "System overplay!" She played a guitar riff that stopped the drones in their tracks, but she couldn't stop a sniper shot from hitting Laura's shoulder.

"I didn't forget about you either!" Cecilia separated the two and focused all her weapons on Laura.

"Mad woman!" Night Club swatted away some of the shots using her guitar. The one she couldn't swat sent her flying back inside the holding area, "OOF! I'm ok... I think..."

NIGHT CLUB — SHIELD 5/18% (WARNING)

Cecilia released her missile pods, "Now for you!" and sent an unusually huge number of rockets after Laura.

Lincoln was having problems of his own. The longer he fought Rin, the more he saw Lynn at her worst. He was trying to keep a level head, but each time he got hit, more of his rage seeped out. Many times he had to stop and recollect himself...

_("Lori's right. Your manners are deteriorating.")_

_("I can eat my words on my own time, dude. And that Academy did a number on your manners.")_

...only to have to fend off attacks on the mind. If he wasn't dealing with Rin from the real world. And all it took was a headshot to get it all out. Lincoln ignored all shots on him and stayed in Rin's private space.

Cecilia and Laura were locked in a shooting battle. Laura was firing with her railgun while having to defend herself from rear attacks with her AIC. Cecilia did not hold back, using her drones and her rockets to get Laura towards the center.

"What's wrong?!" Cecilia said, "Can't get into your own head?!"

_("I have to get rid of my inner demons.")_

_("So...this is the demon you were referencing?")_

For once, she's right. Laura could not get that line out of her head, no matter what. She knew that he was talking about an inner struggle, but she couldn't help but think that he meant her. Her mirror reflection did look so disturbingly like him-

-THWACK!-

"AGH!" Laura was actually mindful enough to let a rifle handle knock her back. It wasn't long before she and Lincoln were backed against each other in the middle of the arena. Cecilia positioned herself and her drones around the white-haired pair. Rin stood in front of Lincoln, pressure cannons and scimitars at the ready.

SAVVY SUITE — SHIELD 52/100%

SCHWARZER REGEN — SHIELD 59/100%

BLUE TEARS — SHIELD 63/90%

SHENLONG — SHIELD 47/110%

"Uhhhh...come on..." Lincoln just got done wailing on Rin. Backing up against Laura kept his emotions at bay, but now there's too many triggers for him to lose himself, "Can't lose myself again..."

Laura couldn't say a word to him without mulling over what he said. She couldn't afford to figure out why it pained her worse than being called a defect.

"Think of anything?" But Lincoln could, "Gotta bust outta here."

"Why?" Laura whispered.

Night Club crawled out of her pile of broken jet pack, "Dangit...no more after parties..." She wiggled her hair and saw Lincoln and Laura backed against each other, "Tsk, tsk, tsk...I thought we told you, bruh," she readied her guitar and speaker, "There's a right way and a wrong way to do everything," and let'er riff.

That's when Lincoln suddenly had an idea.

_("Instead of attempting to control it, you merely guide its current towards its destination without the least bit of tension!")_

"Oh, duh," Lincoln said, "I gotta flow."

"What?" Laura twitched.

"Follow my lead," Lincoln grabbed her hand and flung them both towards Rin.

"Wh-No-Agh!"

"Just stay alive!"

Rin fired them to slow them down, but he shielded Laura and took all the hits, allowing him to slip Laura under the stream of bullets and surprise her with a railgun shot. Rin flew up to escape the ground, with Lincoln and Laura in pursuit.

"What are you..." Cecilia sent her drones after all three of them.

Lincoln felt a drone shot strike his rear, "EEEEYAAAHAHAHAAA!" He threw his deck all over the sky, forcing Rin and Laura to lose balance mid flight.

Laura adapted quickly and used the cards to slip inside Rin's range. Rin was firing back at the cards, when one of her shots missed the Schwarzer Regen by a literal hair. Laura launched her wire daggers and caught Rin's legs, but Rin broke free by combining her scimitars and slicing the wires. Rin's staff struck Lincoln's forearms and engaged in a fierce two-on-one fight. Lincoln left Laura to the CQC and stayed in midrange to keep Cecilia's drones off them as best as he could.

After a solid minute, Cecilia recalled her drones and aimed her rifle right at Laura. Laura was able to duck those shots, but Rin was able to get a big hit with her staff and her Ryuhou. Cecilia took aim again and fired twice. One hit Laura's leg; the other was intercepted by Lincoln's shield. Cecilia attempted to fire her rockets, but she was pushed back by a couple of his cards and rattled by Night Club's Sound Cannon.

"Ooh, that does it!" Cecilia sent a drone after Night Club.

NIGHT CLUB — SHIELD 2/18% (CRITICAL)

Right when Night Club decided she had enough, "Whew...I think that should've retuned their moodiness." She was satisfied with her work until she looked up and saw a blue drone planted on her speaker. Then, she plucked a C and a low F-sharp.

-BZZTTT!-

"HAHAAAAA-" BONK! "-OOF!"

NIGHT CLUB — SHIELD 0 (EMPTY)

She was blown across the locker room and into a pile of towels and bouncy toilet paper, where she went full-on defiant British, "THE SOUND OF SILENCE WILL PERMEATE NO LONGER!" Fists in the air "**I SWEAR ON ALL THAT IS RIGHTEOUS!!!**" before fizzling out of existence.

That didn't sit well with Lincoln. Seeing Cecilia retaliate against Night Club like that...

_("YOU KNOW WHAT HAPPENS WHEN YOU MAKE ME MAD!")_

...brought on some unwanted memories of the most volatile Loud.

"I couldn't do anything then, but I can now," Lincoln muttered, "It's past time for discipline." He shifted priorities, going after 'Future Lola' and her drones when they fired. That gave Laura a bit of leeway in her fight against Rin.

And her rage. Laura started to wonder why Lincoln could get along swimmingly with the woman she was trying to bring down, how he could relax around Rin in the middle of his training sessions. It almost made her jealous...yet another confusing emotion she never experienced before today.

Laura caught Rin's downward swing with her AIC, "GET OUT OF MY HEAD!", and immediately followed with a railgun shot.

SHENLONG — 17/110% (WARNING)

"Hey, Cecilia!" Rin flew away and shot at Laura, "I could use some help here!"

"I'm working on it!" Cecilia rocketed Lincoln at point-blank, then sniped two shots that hit Laura a split second before a card struck her. She turned her rifle to Lincoln, who dove headfirst into her line of fire shielded by his wing units. She tried to slow him down, but he slammed his shield right at her head, unfettered by her energy bullets, bounced back towards Rin, and swung a card at Rin.

BLUE TEARS — SHIELD 58/90%

SAVVY SUITE — SHIELD 39/100%

Laura was gaining momentum in her fight against Rin, but the sudden card exploding in their faces right when they began to lunge at each other gave her the best edge she needed. She flipped under the resultant smoke and fired a railgun shot. Rin was able to avoid it, but she couldn't avoid Lincoln's hammer leg or the chaos that followed him.

Drones peppered them with energy throughout the scuffle. Lincoln remained stationary and focused solely on defense. Rin threw herself in the fray to eliminate him, timing her attacks with the drones' shots to get the maximum amount of damage in. Laura was back outside of the scuffle and saw Cecilia focusing her mental efforts on her drones, and fired a railgun shot at her. Cecilia was quick to dodge, and even quicker to break her concentration. Lincoln used the break to throw his shield, and it shredded two drones before it came back to defend him from the Ryuhou. Rin tried to go after him, but she was locked in place by the AIC.

"What the-" Rin only had a split-second's respite before she was shot with the railgun, and entering a Unison Attack.

Lincoln stopped his shootout with Cecilia as soon as Laura's railgun went off and went after Rin.

Rin was sent flying into Lincoln's shield, then back to Laura, where she was slammed with Laura's elbow and roundhouse kicked with extreme force. She was rocketed towards the ground, but it wasn't even a second before Lincoln threw his shield together with his deck at an angle, hitting her back and exploding with even greater force. She hit the ground hard, but Lincoln and Laura hit the hardest they've ever hit. When Rin bounced off the ground, Laura struck with a saber, then Lincoln bashed his shield into her and somehow wrecked her Ryuhou and destroyed his wing shield. Then, the pair came together and launched a railgun shot and a single card at her, creating a fiery explosion of energy that blew all three of them back. Lincoln and Laura were able to jump into the air to slow down their recoil. Rin crashed into the wall before her IS fell to the kneeling position.

SCHWARZER REGEN — SHIELD 31/100%

SAVVY SUITE — SHIELD 16/100% (WARNING)

SHENLONG — SHIELD 0 (EMPTY)

Cecilia wasn't quick enough to stop any of it. Her drones did damage them, but they couldn't get in their way to careen them off-course. She descended and recalled her remaining drones, deciding to meet her opponents at their level.

BLUE TEARS — SHIELD 47/90%

Laura was purely focused on the fight now. She didn't care about how she was able to spontaneously time her movements with Lincoln's as if they had been in battle before. Nor did she think to question it, "Where's your shield?"

"Gone," Lincoln answered, "It was my wings. My speed's gone down, so..."

When Cecilia had touched the floor, she was tense. Her partner was out of commission, meaning she had to do something quick before she received the same beating. No doubt fueled by some rage brought on by who knew what. She wasted no more time for words, immediately throwing her sniper shots at them.

"Fallen Sie nicht zurück," Laura quickly whispered.

"Ich kenne," Lincoln darted forward and took the shots head-on.

Laura skid left and fired at Cecilia, causing her to break concentration and release her drones instead. They both went after Laura in order to slow her down, leaving Lincoln to the brunt of the fight. Lincoln gathered to full hands and chucked them at Cecilia, who broke concentration again to avoid his projectiles and lunge at Lincoln. Lincoln guessed that the surprise missile pods would come into play so he prepared another hand to deal with them, but he flew up once he heard Laura's railgun go off. Cecilia was barely able to counter the fast missile with one of her own, but she was trapped in a puff of smoke and bombarded with cards. She fired her missiles in the direction of her impacted zone, right before she was frozen by the AIC. Laura shot Cecilia into another Unison Attack.

BLUE TEARS — SHIELD 38/90%

Cecilia was blasted into Lincoln's fist. She retaliated with two missiles to him and a sniper to Laura. Laura blocked the energy shot with her AIC, but she had to contend with the drones. Lincoln easily dispatched the missiles and resumed his skirmish with Cecilia, giving Laura enough time to destroy the drones and catch up to him. Cecilia and Lincoln were throwing projectiles at each other until Laura fired at Cecilia, throwing her off balance and sending her across the arena, right into Lincoln's 52-Card Pickup. Midway through the combo he was joined by Laura, and together they laid the ultimate smack down of blade and bomb.

It ended with Lincoln and Laura raining down on Cecilia with a flurry of cards and wire dagger strikes, followed by a double cartwheel kick and a double punch that planted the Blue Tears into the ground. The pair had enough momentum leftover to transition into a victory pose, crossing a card-tricking left arm with a magenta-cutting right arm.

BLUE TEARS — SHIELD 0 (EMPTY)

SAVVY SUITE — SHIELD 7/100% (CRITICAL)

SCHWARZER REGEN — SHIED 23/100%

"THE MATCH IS CONCLUDED. THE WINNER IS LINCOLN LOUD AND LAURA BODEWIG."

The entire arena was in an uproar the moment that announcement was made, and not the good kind:

"THIS ISN'T HAPPENING! THEY'RE IN THE FINALS!"

"Ichika, it's up to you now!"

"Did you see how badly they beat them up?!"

"They absolutely cannot win now!"

"WHY COULDN'T YOU JUST LOSE?!"

Only then was Laura able to absorb the full scope of the match. And everything that happened. And everything that was done...and none of it was done alone. Everything that they accomplished...they...Lincoln was the one who flung her into the Shenlong. He was also the one who said that he needed to get rid of his inner demons. He wouldn't stop talking to her, nor would he let up on her. He had the best hangouts and the worst fights with people she never considered worth her time, and yet she was worth his time. She had to know how he was able to pull off such a massive blitzkrieg in the middle of the fight.

But he cut her off, "Go back and rest. We're not finished yet." And he knelt down and picked up 'Future Lola', "Uh...hi again."

"Oh, my head..." Cecilia muttered, "What are you still doing here?..."

_("If anyone needs me, I'll be up in my room for the next 30 days. Care packages welcome.")_

"Just cleaning up, is all," Lincoln said as he hauled Cecilia over to where Rin was... "Uhhhh..."

"zzzzz...YAAWWWNNNN...Oh, what'd I miss?"

...sleeping.

_("You forgot that you've got a secret weapon: me. I'll teach you everything you need to know about Football.")_

Lincoln hauled them all back to his holding area, where Houki joined them in their analysis of the fight. He walked them through every emotion behind every attack he pulled...aka, dropped the ball on why he was acting strangely for the past few weeks.

"Holy Shamoley," Rin mouthed, "Are you saying that you're trapped in a megaverse of multiverses?"

"No, but it might as well be," Lincoln rubbed his eyes, "I came to Japan to escape my life and drop off my emotional baggage off the ends of existence. Turns out I ran into older versions of my own sisters."

"And they're giving you the runaround?" Houki asked, "I mean, us? Uh, I mean-"

"Hahahah, I know what you mean," Lincoln said, "And yes, it's the uncanny valley between alternate dimension and like 6,400 miles removed."

"Darn," Houki muttered, "I don't want to think about this match."

"Ouch," Rin winced, "You're up against Ichika. You're a goner for sure."

"Am not!" Houki stammered, "I can still beat him!"

"Sure, your rusty sword against an all-powerful light saber. I'd like to see that!"

Cecilia was a tad unsettled, "Is it possible for you to escape this delusional phase?"

"Not likely," Lincoln bluntly said, "Probably I'm gonna have to walk on through."

"And you cannot forget about it?"

"Tried," Lincoln stared at the locker room entrance, knowing that he'd have to stand before the mirror one more time, "Failed."

"Yo," Strong Suit suddenly appeared behind him and tapped his shoulder, "If I may demonstrate a painfully obvious metaphor..." and then she ran into the repair room.

"Yow!" Rin jolted, "Uh, did you-"

"No," Lincoln said, "The IS is acting up..."

"Rude!" They heard Night Club's voice.

And then, they saw Strong Suit hauling Night's Axe, jet pack, speaker, and criss-cross-applesauce on her back, "Ooogh! Wow! This baggage is heavy!"

"I'm emo," Night Club deadpanned the entire trip, "Hello? Bathroom's over there?"

"Yep...Yep..." Strong Suit pretended to struggle under the weight- "YACK-" and fell on her belly, "Time out...I need to rest..."

"Really?!" Night Club pulled her head out of her jet, "You couldn't stop cracking for a minute?!"

"Oh, posh," Strong Suit chuckled, "What's a good workout gonna kill?"

Everyone in the holding area facepalmed themselves.

"Yep, I'm out," Night Club tried to get off, but she was pushed back onto Strong Suit, "Hey-Wha-What're you-"

"The bathroom is where we're going!" Strong Suit manipulated a jump rope to tie the two back to back, "And we're going there one way of another! NEEIIIGGHHHH!"

"Get this stupid charade offa me!" Night Club flailed, "Worst lyrics ever, bruh! You ain't never seeing me at your stupid gigs again! HEEELLLLLLLLPPPPPP~~~"

Houki shook her head, "Well, the arena floor's clean...I'm gonna go get ready..." and left for the Uchigane storage.

"I might as well," Cecilia followed her, "I need a break from this emotional baggage..."

Lincoln couldn't resist a tiny smile. If the metaphor of turning out some fun and strengthening from his personal mission wasn't enough, there was also the way he's been going about his life: far too seriously, "And there's the thing I've been missing."

"What sense are you making?" Rin mumbled, "I just saw someone turning emotional turmoil into a workout program."

"Ew, no..." Lincoln saw Laura and Kanzashi sitting next to each other, staring at a dressing mirror, yet never saying a single word. "The things we do for attention..." he turned back to Rin, "What's your take on this blasted game?"

"Don't know, don't care," Rin stretched, "All I know is, that was some slick moves you pulled, dude."

"Uh, really?" Lincoln blushed, "You don't have to-GGCK?!"

"I insist!" Rin got him in a headlock, "I'm gonna egg you until you show me how to do my own super move, hahahaa!"

At the wrong time, because Kim just finished her doubles tournament and came by to check on Lincoln, "Dear me, Miss Huang," Kim slyly cooed, with several giggly seniors behind her, "What will Ronnie Anne think of this development?"

Rin kicked him off and went after the girls, "REA-THE-FRICKEN-LLY!"

"Ah! Run!"

"WHATEVER'S IN YOUR HEAD GET IT OUT NOW!"

"Such a fox, you are, Lingyin!"

"SHUT UP SHUT UP SHUT UP SHUT UUUUUUUUP!"

Lincoln walked to Houki and Cecilia, "Uh...so, did you get anything from that?"

"Not really," Houki was settling in her IS model, "Just a lot of 'Keep Walking' and 'Don't Give Up', what I already know."

"I think it's a nice message, however flawed the execution," Cecilia joked, "Alright, the Samurai is set."

"Thanks," Houki fitted her gauntlets in, "Ready, Kanzashi?"

The blue-haired girl nodded her head and readied her Yumi. Then, she took off into the arena with Houki.

"Is she gonna be alright out there?" Lincoln asked.

"I'm not sure if the fight itself has any importance," Cecilia said. When she turned around, "Oh!" she saw Laura standing right behind her, "Ahem...you have a visitor..." and then she walked off. And Lincoln knew what that meant.

"We need to talk," Laura muttered.

The last of the semifinals was underway. Houki took point and stood 200 feet away from Ichika. So far she's been consistent in keeping her emotions in check, but seeing the ferocious beast that was the previous fight brought back a sense of uncertainty. In all her practice matches with Ichika, she could pour all her emotions into the fight because it was just the two of them (minus Cecilia and Rin and Charles and oh god the), but here...everyone's watching her.

"Come on, Shinonono!"

"You can win this!"

"Get'em, Sarashiki!"

Everyone's waiting for her to deliver a decisive victory, but they might see an ugly side of her close to what they saw in Lincoln. She couldn't let her anger get the best of her this time; Ichika was her childhood friend, after all.

"Hey, Houki!" Ichika said.

"Uh...huh?" Houki responded nervously.

"Here we go," Ichika readied his blade.

BYAKUSHIKI — READY

"Alright..." Houki unsheathed her sword, "Let's do it!"

UCHIGANE (SAMURAI) — READY

"Well, Madame Sarashiki?" Charles said, "Shall we have a fair bout?"

RAFAEL REVIVE CUSTOM II — READY

Kanzashi didn't say a word; she only looked at Ichika with contempt, then at Charles with disdain for being associated with Ichika.

UCHIGANE (YUMI) — READY

-FIGHT!-

Ichika and Houki charged at each other and clashed swords less than a second after the buzzer sounded, while Charles moved towards Kanzashi and kept her off the sword duel.

At that instant, Lincoln, Strong Suit, and Laura were sat by the IS repair room with a good view of the semifinals.

"She's real good with the blade," Strong Suit commented after watching Houki outright counter the Barrier Disabling Attack multiple times, "but it's still just one end of a super saber, am I right? Uh, hello?"

Their eyes were on the fight, but Lincoln and Laura's mind were elsewhere.

"Uh, can you give us a minute?" Lincoln asked.

"Eww, introspection," Strong Suit fled the holding area, "Keep your emotional diarrhea out of my hair!"

The two were left alone with the match, which was really two battles fought separately. Houki would've had Ichika if he didn't use the Ignition Boost while blocking. Or looked at how Kanzashi was fighting Charles, because that fight brought on flashbacks of Houki's years of violent isolation.

Much like how Lincoln and Laura went overboard with their fight, and because of that and what happened before, they were stuck in recovery mode.

"So, what did you want to talk about?" Lincoln asked.

"About where we stand," Laura lied, "We'll never beat Ichika like this."

"You mean, mentality-wise?"

Laura responded to that question with one of her own, "What was that bit about the inner demon?"

Lincoln clammed up. He had to think of something quick to say to her. Luckily, Laura was momentarily distracted by Ichika taking a blade to his shoulder.

"I saw the two worst sides of me," he said, "A former footstool to be stepped on by all my sisters and their friends. He suffered one step too many and...One ended up beheading everyone in sight, including Lily. The other was reduced to a slave, kept hidden from the world."

"That's...thorough..." Laura didn't know what to say to that.

"It's how I really felt," Lincoln continued, "The longer I fought, the more raged I get."

"So, the combination attacks...that was the peak of your brutality?"

"I don't know..." Lincoln said as Houki started to struggle with herself, and as a result, taking unnecessary potshots that were easily avoidable, "What about you? I know you weren't yourself during that last bout."

Laura looked back at her IS, standing side-by-side with the Savvy Suite, "I was...unnerved by your 'inner demon' talk."

Lincoln knew that was coming. He winced at the fact that he caused her decline in performance, "How?"

Laura turned her eyes to the fight, "I knew you saw something in me...I didn't think you saw your worst self in me."

"Yep...yep..." Lincoln gritted, "Knew that would come back to bite me..."

"I've been called so many names by so many people throughout my tenure in the German Special Forces," Laura just watched Houki get hit in the stomach by Ichika, "Why is it that I am adversely affected now...and by you of all people?"

"How would I know?" Lincoln said, "Only you know you."

Laura struggled with that thought. All her life, she's been told to be the super soldier, the fiercest warrior in the world, and nothing else. She never bothered with the battle on the inside because it wasn't important to her, or her fellow soldiers. Now came along someone who virtually equaled her, and he's spouting this crap.

"Are you guys done with the inside out yet?" Strong Suit poked her head into the holding area.

"More or less," Lincoln said with his eyes still on the fight.

"Yeah, no you're not," Strong Suit came and sat in between the two, "You're acting like this is a culture shock to the core. It ain't."

The two just kept watching Ichika and Houki go at each other, getting up every time they were knocked down.

"Do you even know what you're talking about?" Laura questioned Strong Suit.

"Not a dang clue!" Strong Suit leaned back and twirled a 50lb barbell, "All I know is you two are overthinking this whole inner teamwork thing, to a cringey degree."

"How?" Laura got irritated, "I was just told that I was what he didn't want to be."

"And you could say the same thing about him," Strong Suit said, "I mean...weaker half and all."

"Is that why you trained me?" Lincoln asked, "To cover up for your past?"

"I could've done away with you anytime, mind you!" Laura snapped.

"Then, why didn't you?" Night Club surprised both white-haired combatants, "Hey, I'm just asking for a friend."

"Well, he..." Laura stammered for an excuse, "because he was very...insistent...that...we..."

Lincoln grabbed Night Club's Axe, "Don't you put any weird ideas in-"

He didn't have to, because Strong Suit manipulated four V-handles into a heart, and connected them to a jump rope arrow that pointed directly to Lincoln. "She dig!"

Laura bopped Suit into the metal cold.

"What?!" Strong Suit muffled through the hole in the floor, "It's true, ain't it?!"

Laura grabbed the V-heart and shoved it down Strong Suit's ass.

"Really, LaBo?" Night Club laughed, "You don't even have friends in the army?"

"THERE ARE NO FRIENDS!" Laura shouted.

"Not what High said-AYY!" Strong Suit got a foot stomp.

"Laura, stop!" Lincoln restrained her by doing a bear hug, which caused her to blush.

"Uh-oh..." Night Club pulled Strong Suit upright, "She dig."

"I-Uh-this is just-not that it..." Laura was completely lost.

"Ok," Lincoln said, "Now it's flying awks," then withdrew himself to upright position, "Uh...wanna tell-"

"It's because you wouldn't stop yammering!" Laura let it out, "You wouldn't stop talking to me, or sharing useless things with me... and the things you did with me, you did with everyone else, and it...it..."

"Looked fun?" Strong Suit snuck behind Laura and only got a nasty look in return.

"But what's that gotta do with your behavior throughout the whole shebang?" Night Club asked, "Usually, you keep quiet."

Laura turned away, scared to look at anybody in the eyes for the first time ever.

"Yo ho?" Strong Suit got in her face.

"What?" Laura growled.

"Look, I know it can be needlessly complicated, this...opening your heart stuff," Strong Suit said, "But it's pretty dang important to being a stronger person."

"What does that have anything to do with one's true strength?!"

"You ever figure, maybe that's how Ace got so strong?" Strong Suit walked her to the open pad, "Maybe that's how Ponyboy's gotten stronger. Take a look."

That's when Ichika pulled an unbelievable switch on Houki. He let Houki's sword clock him in the head. The hit provided more than enough force to propel him right into Kanzashi's CQC range, allowing him to get the jump on her and deliver a One-Hit Kill, and getting Charles some much-needed breathing room. Charles switched targets to Houki, who refused to back down despite her IS lacking a long-range weapon.

"See what she did?" Strong Suit said to Laura, "There's no other way but to jump in and just go for it."

"What makes you think just bombrushing would be at all effective?" Laura doubted her.

"Dunno, but it's a first step," Strong Suit responded, "Just dive headfirst into the squabble long enough, and you'll find a pattern that works. It's like a combat mission where it's just you and your partner. Just breathe, think, go with the flow. And eventually..." Strong Suit momentarily stopped as Houki had just been knocked out by a head strike.

"THE MATCH IS CONCLUDED. THE WINNER IS ICHIKA ORIMURA AND CHARLES DUNOIS."

"... the answer will come," Strong Suit finished her sentence.

Laura saw what she meant, right when Ichika approached Houki.

"So that's it..." Houki muttered.

"Yeah," Ichika panted, "Looks like it..." Then, he offered her a helping hand. Simultaneously with Charles offering to lift Kanzashi back to the holding area.

"I don't understand," Laura said.

"You don't have to," Strong Suit said, "Just let it come naturally. Sometimes it's better to bend and go with the flow...rather than risk your spine to control a hurricane tree-sus cripes."

While Laura was grappling with Strong Suit's words, Lincoln was washing his face, staring at his reflection one last time.

"Well, how'd you like that?" he smirked, "I went absolutely ape on them, and I did with a good friend of mine. And guess what? I still saved some compassion for Cecilia and Rin."

("You're unbelievably weak. You'll never get any stronger with that pathetic display of sympemp assness.")

"Unconditional life cliche number 5: that which is perceived as weakness is in actuality what makes us strong."

("Keep telling yourself that, albino. One day, you'll learn. You'll learn that you can ink away your errors.")

Lincoln backed up and took a deep breath to collect his mind. "No," he thought, "but I can correct them."

"Hey, bruh, you done trying to crucify your ego?" Night Club said.

"Uh, yeah," he said, "I'm going to see Cecilia and Rin off." He waved to Night before running off to the hallway.

Night took one last look at Laura having a heart-to-heart with the gym-savvy sidekick, then turned her head to Lincoln and Rin trying to get Cecilia away from her hair care kit, and then to the holding area across from her, where Ichika was consoling Houki about the recent match.

"Huh," she chuckled, "Nice note to end on before we pine away," right before she fizzled out of existence.


	23. Class Tournament: Finals

TOURNAMENT BRACKET PLACEMENT: FINALS

3RD PLACE MATCH: CECILIA ALCOTT - LINGYIN HUANG vs HOUKI SHINONONO - KANZASHI SARASHIKI

1ST PLACE MATCH: LINCOLN LOUD - LAURA BODEWIG vs ICHIKA ORIMURA - CHARLES DUNOIS

"So, we have some time before our fated final fight," Strong Suit said, "Got any burning words you need to get off your chest?"

"What?" Laura didn't understand that expression.

"Do you have anything you need to say?"

"No...not really," Laura said as Lincoln was settling Cecilia into the impending 3rd-place match.

"This is quite droll!" Cecilia exclaimed, "I don't understand the point of a bronze medal match at all! Why even bother if the winner is already decided?!"

"You ever think about the possibility of Ichika winning and getting to choose his date?" Lincoln asked, "Just think of this as a last chance to impress him."

"That's a little crude," Rin commented, "but whatever works," while her eyes were on Ichika's first childhood friend, "Cud chewing boob lady I'M GONNA-"

"Rin! Hold it! Angry no good!" Lincoln waved his hands in front of her.

"Take it easy nothing!" Rin snapped, "What's she have that I don't?!"

"How about a giant chest that can kill her shoulders?"

"Whaddaya mean..."

"Think of it like this," Lincoln said, "If I was a girl, and I had to do athletics, those things would get in the way," then his hands mirrored a well-endowed chest, "So say I'm doing hurdles, jump PSH ow jump PSH ow jump PSH ow-"

"Haaaahahahahahahahahaaa!" Rin cracked, "I'll admit, you have a point..."

"And you have a nasty method of offending the wrong kind of woman," Cecilia griped.

Suddenly, an announcement came through, "WE WILL NOW BEGIN THE THIRD PLACE PLAYOFFS. ALL PARTICIPATING COMBATANTS PLEASE ASSEMBLE AT THIS TIME."

"Ugh, I dread the thought," Cecilia groaned.

"Hey," Rin quipped while deploying the Shenlong, "Keep up that butthurt attitude and you'll never get a date period."

"How dare you?!" Cecilia lost it, "You could never match my beauty, so don't get inflated by-"

"Ego! Ego! Bring down the ego!" Lincoln flailed.

"*SIGH...* You're right," Cecilia cooled down, "I really ought to control myself."

"Can you control yourself out there, please?!" Rin was hovering a couple feet into the arena, "HK's dragging ass for ours!"

"Yes, yes, I am aware," Cecilia said as she joined Rin on the arena floor.

Lincoln stood on the edge of the launch pad, watching the penultimate fight unfolding before his eyes.

"Well, this is quite unfortunate," Cecilia said to Houki, "To think we would be done in by the shield hero of the year."

BLUE TEARS — READY

"I didn't fight him!" Houki said, "Maybe you're just that incompatible with each other!"

UCHIGANE (SAMURAI) — READY

"Whatever, Numbuh One!" Rin snapped, "Get ready for an epic beat down!"

SHENLONG — READY

Kanzashi shook her head and focused her sights on Rin since she was the talker of the bunch.

UCHIGANE (YUMI) — READY

-FIGHT!-

Strong Suit joined Lincoln on the launch pad's edge, "Yo, bro. What's the down low?"

"Just a spectacle," Lincoln was watching Houki struggle with Cecilia's drones.

"Ooh! Is it story time already?!" Strong Suit clapped.

"Why are you even..." Lincoln narrowed his eyes at Suit's strange attitude change, only to get unnerved by Laura suddenly sitting down beside him, "Uh...why are your feet dangling from where mine are?..."

"Observation," Laura pointed to the holding area across from them, "Look."

Lincoln and Strong Suit peered their eyes past the dust and energy wasted on the arena into the locker rooms, where Ichika and Charles were already planning for the finals, discussing everything they've seen and developing any kind of tactics they could use.

"So, they're making a move on us," Strong Suit quipped, "So kill me."

"No, she's got a point," Lincoln said, "Look at how well they get along with each other. It's like they've been friends for a long time. Maybe that's why they were able to beat Tina and get to the finals."

"Because they're 'friends'?" Laura scoffed.

"No," Lincoln said, "It's because of their synergy. They are able to function as one unit. They knew what they were capable of and can cover for each other's weaknesses while building in their strengths."

"So, What's the point of that?" Laura said, "If I know you can pick yourself up, then how does that translate to the overall effectiveness of the unit?"

Strong Suit squinted, "Did anything we just said sink in that thick skull of yours?"

"It did," Laura blushed again, "Be quiet."

"Ok, then," Strong Suit crossed her arms and gave Laura a smug grin, "How do you plan on winning this tournament?"

"I will engage the bane of Mentor's existence," Laura said, "Loud will make sure that the Frenchman does not interfere."

"That's the only plan I can think of," Lincoln agreed, "Ichika doesn't have any long-range weapons, and Charles's IS is a walking Swiss Army Mech."

"Ironic you say that," Laura said while keeping her eyes on Cecilia's still posture, "The Rafael Revive Ensemble is actually a France-led cooperative effort with several scientists from Switzerland."

"Really? I didn't know that."

"You would if you read beyond what basic information the websites tell us."

"How basic do I have to be?" That line caused a tiny chuckle to erupt from Laura and Lincoln.

But Laura soon realized who else was watching and shut herself off a second later, "Ahem...hhh...we know what the enemy is capable of. And I will assume they know our strengths and weaknesses as well."

"Are you sure you're not just acting on your grudge against Ichika?" Lincoln asked.

"It's exactly why you think," Laura answered, "and I do not intend to lose this fight."

"Ok, I see where this is going," Lincoln said, "This is the first time we fought side by side."

"Ooh, a plan!" Strong Suit piqued, "What'cha thinking?"

"I saw Charles pull out a dagger," Lincoln thought, "I was thinking about using you the same way. Like, when he has me locked in on of his offensive maneuvers, you could come out with a sneak attack. Then we don't let up."

"Oh, I get it," Strong Suit said, "but how do you know when to draw him in?"

"I will have to limit my use of the AIC as well," Laura said, "They probably know about its weakness, so whenever I use it is when they will come after me."

"And I'll have to come after them," Lincoln added.

"And knowing his impulses...perhaps we shouldn't take action right at the beginning."

"Huh?"

"I mean, wait for them to make the first move."

Strong Suit giggled, "Oh, I got'cha, heheheheheheh..."

Just then, they saw Cecilia and Rin perform a double KO. Rin had to retreat to regain her foooting against Kanzashi. A few seconds later, she was about to be shot by Kanzashi's arrow, when one of Cecilia's drones deflected that arrow.

Rin fired her Ryuhou nonstop, separating Houki and Kanzashi. Right at that instant, she moved in close to Houki protected by the four drones, all firing at Houki in unison and immobilizing her until Rin closed ranks and deal the final blow, slamming her scimitars and the drones' energy shots into her.

UCHIGANE (SAMURAI) — SHIELD 0 (EMPTY)

Kanzashi got Rin with a surprise attack, but Cecilia fired her rifle to stop Kanzashi. Rin then chucked a couple drones at her and swung her staff upward to destroy the bow, then downward to destroy her wing units. Then, the final combo: Rin upward slashed Kanzashi into the remaining drones' excessive rapid fire, which only stopped when Rin slammed her staff downward and brought Kanzashi's knees against the floor.

UCHIGANE (YUMI) — SHIELD 0 (EMPTY)

"THE MATCH IS CONCLUDED. THE WINNER IS CECILIA ALCOTT AND LINGYIN HUANG."

"Boo-yah!" Rin cheered, "How'd you like them apples?!" And the crowd cheered along with her.

"Such an unbecoming display of bravado," Cecilia took her drones back, "You do realize that I had to bail you out of trouble with several no-scope shots."

"Who's the one that got you out of that two-for-one deal from halfway across the store?!" Rin got in her face, and the two growled.

Five seconds later, they were laughing.

Kanzashi didn't understand their laughter, "Are they gloating?"

"No," Houki said, "They're...enjoying themselves..."

In fact they were enjoying themselves so much, that they couldn't stop giggling, not even when they offered to help their fallen opponents off the ground.

Rin in particular, "Hihihi...Uh...Sorry, Houki..."

"Rin?" Houki was a little creeped out, "What's gotten into you?..."

"Oh, just all the bickering that was proven useless," Rin yanked her out of the Uchigane, "Lemme tell you, there's plenty of hot air, haha!"

"Uh...ok?" Houki allowed her to be carried to where Ichika was, "Um, thanks."

"Hey, don't sweat it," Rin withdrew her IS when Cecilia landed Kanzashi near the locker room.

"Hey, guys!" Ichika greeted everyone, "How is everything holding... out..." he paused when Kanzashi passed by and gave him a nasty, hateful eye. Once she was out of sight, he exhaled, "HOY...does anyone know what her deal is?..."

"It's not another set of circumstances out of your control, is it?" Cecilia asked.

"Oh, the thoughts we could think," Rin pointed to Houki, who was already angry about another potential girl interaction kept secret from her.

"So, what's it to you?!" Houki snapped.

"Houki," Ichika approached her, "I never knew her until the Academy."

"Says you!" Houki shouted, "How would I know you didn't have an affair behind my back?!"

"Because I was raised by Chifuyu, the sternest older sister I ever knew. She would sooner paddle a board over seeing me with someone else," Ichika managed to somehow scare almost everyone in his vicinity.

Thankfully, Charles stopped him from divulging any more strange stories, "Ahem, this is neither the place nor the time for this discussion." He(she) pointed them to holding area 2-3, where Laura was demonstrating to Lincoln a jumping maneuver that could prove useful in the upcoming battle.

"Is it just me," Rin blurted, "or did she finally manage to tame him?"

"It's the other way around," Charles said, "I believe that this was what he meant."

"Meant What?"

"Know thy enemy, except switch 'enemy' with 'ally'. That was what he wanted all along."

The girls went "HA?!"

But Ichika was smiling, "I expected as much."

"That means all four of us are on equal footing," Charles muttered.

Houki didn't give that any thought since she figured it didn't affect her or Ichika directly, and believed that the boys would win regardless. However, Rin and Cecilia took grave offense to that, for different reasons. Rin was worried that Laura and Lincoln actually stood a chance of winning the tournament, thus ruining any chance of a possible date with Ichika.

But Cecilia felt utterly betrayed.

Rin walked beside the blonde noblewoman, "Hey, What was that you said about doing it for his and his sakes?"

"I take back all of it," Cecilia walked right up to both boys and patted their shoulders, "Now, listen up, both of you!"

Lincoln and Charles gulped.

"You two must win this tournament at lol costs!" Cecilia commanded, "You must give it everything you've got, and you must fight for the rest of us who couldn't go the distance!"

Rin caught on to Cecilia's pep talk and joined in, "That's right! And we'll be supporting you from the sidelines, watching and cheering you on!"

"Uh, ok," Ichika already had a plan to win, but he just ran with the spur of moment, "We won't fail you."

"We'll do our best to surpass your expectations, Chancelier," Charles gave a French salute.

Houki was standing by when everyone else hyped up the pep, and she wanted to offer some words of encouragement as well, "Ichika."

"Hm?"

But she couldn't really find the right words to truly convey her feelings. So... "...don't die," Houki said, "Don't you dare die!"

"Hey, have some faith, Houki," Ichika tapped her elbow.

Which got the attention of the others, who were all staring intently at Houki. But she didn't pay any attention to them; her eyes and ears were on Ichika's next words.

"Don't stop believing," he said, "Hold onto that, and have faith. You do that, and I'll win."

Houki nodded. Rin and Cecilia looked on with a hint of envy, as if Ichika had already decided on who his date was.

Ichika walked to Charles's side, "Well, this is it."

"Yes it is," Charles responded, "Shall we?"

The instant the two bumped fists, they were enveloped in a brilliant light. When the light subsided, they were fully deployed on the arena floor, looking up at their opponents who were contacting eyes with them trying to psyche them out.

"We've done all we can," Lincoln said, "Now, we have to go the distance."

"Indeed," Laura didn't waste any time on them, and she deployed simultaneously with him. For a brief second everything was completely white, but soon after...

"...nnn...YEEP?!?!"

...everything was completely dark.

"Uh...ok...where the heck are we?!" Lincoln freaked a little.

Strong Suit shuffled her feet a little, "Feels like a concrete building tunnel thing, almost like an old disaster shelter."

"Oh no..." Lincoln rubbed his eyes, "I've seen this before..."

"Seen huh?"

"It's called the IS subspace, in that senior-level textbook. Only a tiny handful of people can wander around freely in here."

"Should I know that?" Strong Suit squinted.

Laura interrupted them coldly, "Sie beide, passen Sie auf," and opened a couple hidden chambers in the floor, "Der Feind erwartet uns."

Lincoln peered over her shoulder and gasped. Somehow, their ISs were compartmentalized and stored under the surface without losing their luster, "Am I just dimension hopping now?..."

"Es ist keine Zeit zum Reden," Laura reprimanded him, "Sich fertig machen."

"OK OK," Lincoln pouted, "Ich habe dich das erste Mal gehört."

"Dann tu es," Laura attached one of her wing units to the railgun and joined it with her other unit to hover above her.

"Hey," Strong Suit whispered while Lincoln was putting in his body armor, "You think this is all in her head?"

"Probably," Lincoln said, "but we just have to walk behind her. I'm willing to bet that this blackness is all she seen."

"Eugh...just think of the monsters that lurked in this place...Wait, did she kill them all by herself?!"

"Not all of them," Lincoln finished with his gear and readied his wing shield, "There's still a couple more waiting outside." Laura had finished with her headgear and was finalizing her IS's settings when he walked to her side, "Sind Sie bereit?"

"Ja," Laura nodded and led them toward the mysterious light at the end of the tunnel.

Lincoln noticed Laura's facial expressions change; the closer they got to the light, the softer her demeanor became. "Was ist falsch?" He asked, to no answer.

All he got was another question, "Will he fight as well?"

Lincoln knew who she meant, "I know he will."

Strong Suit heard him, but she knew better than to believe it at face value. The "I know he will" was really a truncated version of "I know he will win". She was present when Ichika saw her dumbbell pass through the AIC. She knew Lincoln was too invested in his other two friends to not brief them on everything he knew about the Schwarzer Regen.

"Hauhhh...That baggage ain't gonna filter itself, I suppose..." Strong Suit fizzled out of existence until she was called to battle.

It wasn't long before they approached the end of the tunnel. Lincoln took one last look at Laura before the light fully engulfed him. Nothing much had changed, except the placement of her left hand. It was just for a split second, but he clearly saw that it was pointed directly at his belt, as if it was reaching out for something to grab. He tried to take her hand, but as soon as the light fully engulfed them, it was gone. There was nothing for him to take.

When the light subsided, Lincoln found himself on the arena floor, directly below the screaming crowds chanting for his downfall:

"KICK HIM TO THE CURB!"

"Finally, some much deserved payback!"

"Make it him wish he'd never talk again!"

"THIS IS WHAT YOU GET!"

Lincoln pouted, then looked in front of him. Laura was standing at attention, locking down her main target with just her eyes, while Ichika was only a few feet away from Charles staring them both in the soul.

"To think I would face you in the final match," Laura said, "Now, I don't have to starve myself any longer."

SCHWARZER REGEN — READY

"Yeah, that's how I feel..." Ichika responded, "...like Christmas with more violence."

BYAKUSHIKI — READY

Lincoln looked under Ichika's arms and saw Charles already preparing to draw weapons, "Definitely feels like we're wrapping something up, don't it?"

SAVVY SUITE — READY

"It's comforting," Charles smiled, "this sense of finality."

RAFAEL REVIVE CUSTOM II — READY

The entire stadium was on edge. The pilots in the pit, the international leaders who gathered to witness history, the many students who were cheering for the right man to win, and the instructor who oversaw both their growths were standing by. As the countdown began, the only noise was coming from the buzzer. Right before the clarion call, Laura and Ichika gave one last declaration,

"I WILL CRUSH YOU!"

-FIGHT!-

Ichika made the first move and blasted off towards Laura, "RRRAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA-" but Laura unleashed her AIC and locked him in place.

The girls in the holding area were groaning.

"Just as I expected," Rin said.

"AIC..." Cecilia shook her head, "and I thought he understood it by now."

While the rest of the stadium held their breath, Lincoln took it as the signal to move in immediately, since he knew Charles would try to bail Ichika out. He also thought they would gang up on him when least expected since he always kept his allies close to him, so he put his plan into motion.

All the while, Laura was taunting Ichika, "A preemptive attack right after the match begins? You're so predictable."

"Thanks so much," Ichika joked, "I'm so glad that you're able to read my-"

SAVVY SUITE — SHIELD 85/100%

STRONG SUIT — SHIELD 15%

BOBOBOBOBOOM!

Ichika was suddenly hit with a pair of aces. Charles tried to rise above him for a sneak attack, but he got hit by triple 3s and a 45-lb free-weight.

By none other than Lincoln. He leaped over Laura and threw those cards, and quickly brought his shins and forearms to the ground before Laura fired her railgun directly at the opposite pair.

BYAKUSHIKI — SHIELD 78/100%

RAFAEL REVIVE CUSTOM II — SHIELD 75/100%

Ichika and Charles skidded backwards a few feet, but recovered shortly after.

Lincoln flung himself towards Charles and threw as many cards as he could at him, "Caught you dialoguing!" He chased Charles all across the arena trying to hit him, but he was unable to prevent him from performing the rapid switch to double assault rifles.

Ichika tried to pin down Lincoln, but he saw another 45-lb flying at him and swatted it away, "Nngh...wha...you're joking!"

"No, we ain't!" Strong Suit shouted while clinging to the Schwarzer Regen's left wing unit.

Laura revealed her twin arm sabers and rushed to Ichika, forcing him to hold position and engage on the ground.

Charles was locked in a firefight with Lincoln, which he didn't think was possible. No matter where he went, those cards always followed him, and he thought to use the constant stream of projectiles to catch Laura off guard. So, he continued to fire at Lincoln and lead him right to Laura, knowing that Ichika would try to set himself up to lure her into a trap.

The only problem was Strong Suit, "I see rain!"

Laura heard her and froze Ichika, waiting for Charles to get close enough for Strong Suit to chuck another dumbbell at him. But he got close enough to where Suit was able to throw a 100-lber right at Charles's face. Lincoln swerved left away from Laura, giving her a free potshot at Ichika.

BYAKUSHIKI — SHIELD 50/100%

RAFAEL REVIVE CUSTOM II — SHIELD 62/100%

SAVVY SUITE — SHIELD 74/100%

SCHWARZER REGEN — SHIELD 100%

This caused the entire stadium to scream.

Though, not as loudly as Houki, "WHAT WAS THAT?! WHAT IN THE HELL WAS THAT?!"

Rin was slightly less freaked out, "How would I know?! That was so cool and so damn aggravating at the same time!"

"No, it's neither," Cecilia stopped them and explained everything, "It was an extremely calculated mental play. All four knew each other's weaknesses and strengths, so they're making plays that could exploit any holes in their defenses."

"Ok, but if that's the case, then shouldn't they be equal?!" Rin asked, "Then how come Ichika's already taken two rockets to the face?!"

"It's her," Cecilia pointed to the girl latched onto Laura's left wing unit.

And Houki recognized that short ponytail, "That's Strong Suit...but how did she get over there?!"

"He deployed her there when he hopped over the Schwarzer Regen," Cecilia said, "My guess is that he's going to keep her there for the duration of the battle, as a surprise counter just in case they try to surround her."

She was proven correctly, as the girls saw. Charles shake Lincoln off and take aim at Laura, only for another dumbbell to throw his aim off.

"Why that lousy German cow!" Rin snapped, "Isn't there anything they can do to get her off?!"

"No," Cecilia answered, "As someone with firsthand experience with the Full House Gang, a direct assault would be fruitless. Most likely, this will come down to misdirection."

"What? Misdirection?" Houki repeated, "You mean, make them bump into each other?"

"Not just that..." Cecilia murmured.

Strong Suit had just finished warding off another attempted assault from the Revive, but Laura was prevented from firing her railgun due to several stray shots hitting her and Ichika. A risky move on Charles's part, but well worth it because Ichika was able to get two hits in before being forced to flee Laura's CQC range.

SCHWARZER REGEN — SHIELD 82/100%

BYAKUSHIKI — SHIELD 41/100%

"They're getting crafty," Strong Suit nudged.

"Do we change up our game plan, then?!" Lincoln screamed while avoiding a rapid-fire machine gun spray.

"No, we need to confuse them," Laura said, "Switch targets now."

"Understood!" Lincoln suddenly stopped attacking and used his wings as a makeshift parachute, slowing down just enough to gain footing and kick his way back to Laura.

"Huh? Ah!" Charles noticed the lack of cards and caught Lincoln fleeing his skirmish to gang up on Ichika. He rounded the wall and flung back to his teammate with even greater speed, "Oh no you don't!"

"Dang..." Strong Suit noticed that the Revive's speed had suddenly quadrupled and jumped off Laura's unit to intercept Charles, "Back!"

"Huh?" Lincoln looked behind him and saw Charles with an unusually large needle, "EEK!" He drew his shield just in time to block Charles's sudden attack, but he wasn't prepared for the aftermath. He was utterly blown away. His body was like a boulder being catapulted across the desert. He missed Laura, but his shield was knocked off his hand and found its way to Ichika's leg. Lincoln himself buried his hands and feet in the dirt and clawed his way to a halt, but he saw Charles approaching too fast for him to react to, until Strong Suit emerged from his back and clocked the orange IS in the head. The hit threw Charles off balance and allowed Lincoln to catch the giant pointy thing, but it wasn't enough to ward off all its force, as he was still blown sky high.

RAFAEL REVIVE CUSTOM II — SHIELD 43/100%

SAVVY SUITE — SHIELD 33/100%

Lincoln kept rolling until he threw his arms back to stop himself, "How did-" he was cut short by a shotgun shell barely missing his face. He saw Charles engaging Strong Suit and dropped down to help her, but he was suddenly blindsided by a combat knife.

"An IB?!" Lincoln stammered, "That wasn't in the data!"

"That's right!" Charles screamed, "Because I've never used it before!"

"You mean you just now learned how to do that-" BONK "-AY!" Lincoln was hit again with Charles's rush attack, and was only spared the rest of the punishment by Strong Suit and her empty barbell.

"Now That's on you!" Strong suit said while fending off Charles's guns, "Never trust your eyes!"

Throughout all this, Laura caught every moment of it. She kept her railgun aimed at Lincoln while fending off Ichika until he tried for another rush attack to her blind spot. But this time, she chose to charge her railgun instead of block the Yukihira. She took damage, but the hit gave her just enough space to fire her railgun. Lincoln heard it go off and let in a hit from Charles's knife to get him away from the impact zone.

SCHWARZER REGEN — SHIELD 66/100%

BYAKUSHIKI — SHIELD 37/100%

Charles didn't see the incoming projectile until it was too late. He managed to put up his shield in time, but he was still pushed far away from Lincoln. He couldn't stop him from regrouping with Laura or reclaiming his shield.

Ichika was about to rush into Laura again, but his Reiraku Byakuya was suddenly blocked by Lincoln's shield. Laura used this small diversion to fire at Ichika, but he was able to narrowly avoid the bullet and backed away. Charles once again used the Ignition Boost to catch up to Laura, but he was interrupted by Laura's wire daggers and Strong Suit's kettlebell tosses. Laura pushed Lincoln forward to move him out of Charles's way and bash his shield on Ichika.

"Yeezus!..." Strong Suit panted while trying to run after the chaos, "Did anybody follow that?!..."

STRONG SUIT — SHIELD 5/15% (WARNING)

SAVVY SUITE — SHIELD 18/100% (WARNING)

RAFAEL REVIVE CUSTOM II — SHIELD 22/100%

BYAKUSHIKI — SHIELD 34/100%

SCHWARZER REGEN — SHIELD 66/100%

"I did," Rin said, "They're at a complete stalemate."

"How can you tell?" Houki asked.

"I can tell by their facial expressions," Rin kept her eyes on the fight, "All the boys have exhausted every single plan they could think of, except her..."

"Good god!" Houki was shocked, "Was that his plan this whole time?!" Then she saw Lincoln putting massive pressure on Ichika by continuously invading his personal space, almost as if he wanted to get in his grill, "Oh man, he's distracting him..."

"Of course," Cecilia realized their power play, "They only need one person to survive to claim victory...that stupid German cow."

Laura was stuck with the headache of Charles's newly implemented Ignition Boost moveset, although she had already deduced when he would use it. She had already dealt with four failed attempts to counter Charles before she got him; she launched her wires at him and drew her saber the instant she saw him trigger the IB, then threw her arm saber right at the spot she saw him trigger it, and she got his neck.

RAFAEL REVIVE CUSTOM II — SHIELD 11/100% (WARNING)

Soon after, Laura twirled around and aimed her gun at Lincoln, who grabbed the sword as soon as it slammed into his shield. Ichika panicked and was forced to IB the both of them out of the railgun's line of fire. Lincoln quickly released his hold and flung his shield at Charles, who was busy with Laura and Strong Suit. Charles dodged the shield, then switched to the machine gun and unleashed his fury on the field. Lincoln responded by throwing ten cards at the Revive, one of which found its way to Charles's leg, then avoiding Ichika's sudden sword strikes.

Strong Suit was having difficulty pinning Charles down until Lincoln arrived and pelted him with as many cards as possible. She waited until one card struck his arm to ride another card to his gut, "Now!"

"Go for it!" Lincoln rushed upwards and landed a solid combo, followed by Strong Suit's fully loaded barbell staff bringing Charles to the ground. But the moment Lincoln and Strong Suit came down on the Revive, three hits were scored: Strong Suit was shanked, Charles was flattened, and Lincoln was (for lack of a better word) penetrated by the pile bunker.

STRONG SUIT — SHIELD 0 (EMPTY)

RAFAEL REVIVE CUSTOM II — SHIELD 0 (EMPTY)

SAVVY SUITE — SHIELD 0 (37/137% - LOSE)

"Uhhhh..." Lincoln groaned, "Feels like a need went into my-" he stopped as soon as he saw who he was on top of.

"I take it you've endured this before?" Charles asked nervously.

Lincoln rolled off him, "Oof!" Then, he lost his IS, "Yeah, not proud of it..."

"Ha ha, I see," Charles sat up after his IS was withdrawn.

"YAAWWWNNNN...the dirt feels so comfortable..." Strong Suit unsettled those two with the knife going right through her butt, and out her pelvic area, "I'm gonna turn in for the night..."

"N'AVEZ-VOUS PAS DE HONTE, FEMME?!" Charles covered his eyes.

"Uh, sure..." Lincoln looked away, "You do that..." and the two waited until she fizzled out of existence to take a collective sigh of relief.

But the rest of the stadium were more than relieved. When they saw the Suite disappear, the students reacted with great jubilee:

"That's what you get, you dumb cracker!"

"Finally! Finally, we did it!"

"I can't wait to run it in his face!"

"What are we gonna do to him?! Payback is imminent!"

"Let that be a lesson to always keep your mouth shut!"

"Wait, hold up! Who's that with him?!"

"Why would that matter-omigod, That's Charles!"

"Was he eliminated too?!"

Then, they saw who was left to fight. Or rather, they saw Ichika get stuck in Laura's AIC and get blasted all the way across the floor.

BYAKUSHIKI — SHIELD 10/100% (CRITICAL)

SCHWARZER REGEN — SHIELD 44/100%

Then the stands were filled with nothing but despair:

"LAURA'S GOING TO WIN?!"

"NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!"

"WE'VE ALL BEEN HAD!"

"IT'S OVER! THE CHANCE TO WIN IS GONE!"

"TO WIN A DATE...WAAAAAAAAA!"

"I HATE YOU! I HATE ALL OF YOU!"

"I'M REALLY GONNA DO SO MUCH TO YOU, LOUD!"

"LET'S SEW HIS EVERY OPENING SHUT!"

"Wow, they really hate rebels," Charles whistled.

"They don't want a boyfriend; they want a manslave," Lincoln sighed.

"Really, now?" Charles asked a question that burnt his mind since Laura arrived, "And what would you do if they were to tease you endlessly, to the point of making you uncomfortable?"

Endless teasing, he could relate with, but he knew that that could escalate into being used as a bargaining chip without his consent...as witnessed earlier, "I'd force them to put me in prison."

"How did I expect you to say that?..." Charles muttered, then turned his head to the ongoing fight for first, "So, how do figure he could make a comeback?"

"The AIC requires absolute attention," Lincoln said, "All he has to do is break it."

And Ichika has already figured out how: turn off his Yukihira Niigata and hide it just before Laura launches her AIC, then turn it back on inside her blind spot. He just needed the right moment, and he needed it fast because-

BOOM! BOOM!

"Whoa!"

Laura was within victory's grasp, "Pathetic." She let loose another railgun shot that was barely avoided, "Something like that will make the name Orimura shed tears!"

The shots kept coming. Laura kept closing in on him every so slowly. Ichika knew he couldn't keep it up any longer.

Laura didn't care in The slightest, "You claim to be the Mentor's younger brother, but you're so unsightly, you're degrading the word Mentor as well!"

And there was his chance. Ichika reverted back to his normal blade and flung himself at Laura with all his might, still gripping his blade. He was able to dodge the railgun bombardment but when he got in close-

"YOH!" Laura trapped him in the AIC for the last time.

"Aggh! No!" Rin and Houki freaked out.

"Is this checkmate?!" Cecilia shouted.

Laura held him for just a second, but it seemed like forever. It was enough to let him feel the prolonged moment of despair. Then she seemingly crushed whatever hope he had by catching a blade falling behind her, "Is this your final play?"

"Yes it is!" Ichika screamed, because that catch of the blade...that one moment where her concentration weakened just enough for him to move again...that moment when she caught the blade that her AIC was suddenly brought down...that was all he needed. As soon as she caught the blade, he powered up a short-range Ignition Boost and broke through her barrier. He collided into her, causing her to recoil and hand the blade back to him. Laura tried to shake him off, but it was already too late. By the time she wrapped her wire daggers around them,

"HAI-YAH!"

POW-ZZZTZTZTZZZZZZ-

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAGH!" The Reiraku Byakuya got her. Ichika had thrust the blue energy sword into her side, and kicked her back with an intense force she felt only once before. Ichika followed up with two more slashed that not only destroyed her railgun and sabers, but it also sent her slamming into the wall, disorienting her badly.

BYAKUSHIKI — SHIELD 4/100% (CRITICAL)

SCHWARZER REGEN — SHIELD 2/100% (CRITICAL)

"Yep," Lincoln whispered, "He broke it."

"That's it!" Charles cheered.

Rin and Cecilia went wild. Houki staggered backward as if she had a heart attack from the breakneck anticipation of the end. And the rest of the stadium was lost in a frenzied celebration as Ichika's leftover momentum carried him all the way to the other side of the stadium, bringing him mere moments away from victory.

Lincoln himself was feeling a bit somber, but overall satisfied. He may have to take another loss, but so would she. He was hoping that this would humble her a little and open her up to other sources of strength she could rebuild upon, as Ichika winning would mean a massive victory for friendship and trust, something Laura had yet to fully grasp. But just when the final blow was about to land...

**No! I can't lose!**

"Huh?" Lincoln heard a desperate whimper.

**There's no way I can lose!**

Lincoln turned behind him to ask Charles, "Did you hear someth-Uh?!"

**I can't...**

And once again, the world around him became dark and empty. And once again again, he found himself without an IS.

"Uh...ok?..." Lincoln stood up, "...Is it that time again?..." He waited a good ten seconds. No one showed up. "Ok, it's not a recurring theme," and he got annoyed, "It's a recurring joke! A really bad one!"

Then, a piercing voice... "Herr General, specimen C-0037 has stabilized."

"Who the-holyyy..." Lincoln suddenly found himself in a laboratory of sorts. Several scientists were found on many tablets and computers, all connected to a containment unit. Upon closer inspection, it was revealed what was inside: a person. A baby.

"Holy...completely man made?" Lincoln wondered, "who could-"

"Herr General," a soldier came back to the tallest figure in the room, "there is already a code 0037 in the Norwegian base."

"I see..." the figure nodded, "we will have to give this one a different name." He dismisses the soldier and turned back to the tube,placing his hand on the soon-to-be-born child. "You will bring great pride to the Germans," the figure whispered, "You will lead the world in military might." Then, he took a voice recorder and made a note, "DNA specimen C-0037 is currently stabilized; alternative name must be used. Her new code name will be...Laura Bodewig."

Lincoln banged his head on a counter, "La...THAT'S SUPPOSED TO BE LAURA?!" He snapped before hearing some sort of steady gunfire outside, "Are we being attacked?!" He grabbed a nearby helmet and ran outside, into a small mountain range, where the building was replaced with training dummies and gun range posters, "Whoa...ok...I'm definitely seeing someone's life-" PWING! "HIT THE DIRT!"

Lincoln hid beneath the grass, out of the firing line of multiple gunshots that somehow hit the heads of every single dummy. Lincoln poked his head up to see what fired at them. This time he saw a younger version of Laura aiming a sniper rifle at their range, accompanied by several high-ranking officials in the army.

"Confirmed, 20 headshots in 7 seconds," someone said.

"That is satisfactory," the commanding officer said, "Bodewig, fire again, this time at their shoulders."

An emotionless young Laura simply responded, "Jawohl," and reloaded her semi.

"This is some child soldier bull crap," Lincoln commented, "How on earth did they-"

Laura finished reloading.

"EEP!" He scurried away from the bullets and into the next life event, "If this is some kind of anti war propaganda going on, then they're doing a horrible job!" He shouted while running, "Subtlety can go a long way, you know!" He froze when he heard a whooshing noise from above. He tilted his head upward and saw a fighter jet being piloted by Laura zooming towards their location. He was able to take cover in a nearby ditch and before rockets exploded mere inches away.

"CAN SOMETHING MAKE SENSE PLEASE?!" Lincoln screamed. When the dust settled, he popped his head up and checked for any other surprises. "I think we're clear," he said as he propped himself out of the ditch, and into a fenced field, where he just saw Laura take on six men twice as tall and three times as muscular...and win without a scratch.

"Laura Bodewig," her commanding officer said, "You have a mission."

"Ja," Laura followed him into a tent.

"What I wouldn't give to have half the skill at that age..." Lincoln commented.

And suddenly, he was back in the laboratory, this time overseeing the arrival of Germany's first IS, along with Laura and her commander.

"Thus far, you have had the best performance of any soldier in history," her commander said, "Now you will train in the dedicated IS unit."

"Ja," was all she said.

"Oh no," Lincoln remembered his conversation with her about the past, "It's a downhill ride from here..." BOOM! "Ah!"

His location was hit with a powerful energy beam. He ducked down and saw several more shots being fired from a hill far away, but almost none of them were hitting any of the giant concrete structures.

"It's no good," a Sargent said, "Her compatibility's not high enough."

Laura gritted her teeth underneath her expressionless stature.

"Fine, fine," someone accompanying the lead scientist said, "We will give her Odin's eye...but you know the risks."

"Ja...That is fine," Laura said.

"Odin's eye?" Lincoln repeated, "As in the-wait, nonononono-" he ran up the hill, only to hit an invisible wall. All it took was him blinking his eyes to be brought to a surgical room, where he saw tons of needles and lasers going into the left eye of a motionless and very clearly awake Laura. He would have tried to break her out were it not for a few monitors in his view, and her emotional state. She saw what they did to her, but she couldn't feel any of it thanks to a pre-surgery injection. But he certainly felt it to a degree.

"How goes the operation, doctor?" The commander asked.

"No changes whatsoever," the doctor responded, "Her body is unwilling to accommodate for the required changes. It will only accept the eye as a regular eye."

"Damn...and we were so close..." the commander cursed, "finish what is required for implementation. I want her back on the table next month."

"It will be done."

"You mean, she had _more_ operations than this?!" Lincoln rubbed his eye to relieve some of the horror he just witnessed, but that relief was short lived when the lab came crashing down. Suddenly, he was in a pile of rubble, and an IS-armed Laura was at its epicenter. She was blasting away at a certain target in the sky, but she couldn't hit it at all. She had better luck with the ground targets, but only because she could grab them and...end them without much effort.

"Jeezus!" Lincoln flinched.

That got her attention. She glared at him, her left eye glimmering too brightly as if it was malfunctioning. She tried to blast him off, but she missed. Then she tried two wire daggers, but he was able to dodge them and run away. He didn't get very far, though, as he was easily stomped.

Though, again, not really, as he tripped over a small rug and found himself in an office, overhearing a heated exchange between the commander, "What was that, Bodewig?! This was supposed to be a covert IS operation! Why did you beat everyone in your sight within an inch of their lives?!"

And Laura, "But I was following orders! I sent the core to Harfouch before I distracted the enemy-"

"STILLE!" The commander did not want to hear any excuses. Laura kept her mouth shut for the moment, until the commander went off on a tangent, "First your IS compatibility was a D, now your body is unable to even control a simple implant!" He slammed a red stamp on her paper, "This project is a failure. You are removed from the infantry."

Laura spoke back, "With all due respect, I cannot comply with the-"

"Odin's Eye has clearly made you far to violent!" The commander shouted, "Until we find a way to control it, you are on standby!"

"Oh my god..." Lincoln gasped, "She was sidelined for their mistake..." As Laura left, so did he. He walked into a hallway with a bunch of windows that saw her instructing new recruits on basic combat, standing by as an aide to a higher-ranking soldier, and taking over janitorial duties. All throughout these experiences, she always heard mention of how she was a horrible pilot to begin with and how that implant did whatever the others thought; some believed it to have been just a better looking eye, others thought it turned her into a ruthless trigger happy killer, and some thought it made her performance worse. But this was certain: they all looked down on her. She may have been looked to, even envied, but as soon as she was declared useless in combat, she was virtually thrown away, only she was an illegal project that could never be shown to the world. She was just a flesh doll. A punching bag.

That was just the middle of the hallway. Lincoln couldn't bear to see any more and ran the rest of the way. He kept his eyes only on the exit. It was a long run, but he finally burst through the doors and into yet another dark space. He was already tired of stumbling upon event after event that he wanted this one to end. But when he looked up, the first thing he saw was a slightly younger version of Chifuyu. He felt compelled to stand up, but he wanted to see how this scenario played out, as he was aware that this was a major turning point in Laura's life.

"Do you know why you're here?" Chifuyu asked across the hall.

Lincoln turned around and saw Laura. She stood in awe at the Brunhilde, but she was slightly dejected, almost unworthy to be in the presence of the strongest woman in the world.

That was, until Chifuyu's next words, "I have one year to get you back on your feet. I expect nothing less than every ounce of energy from you."

He followed the two out to an open field. First, he found them in a small room where Chifuyu trainee Laura one-on-one. Then he wandered into an airfield where she was monitoring Laura on her accuracy in shooting down moving and still targets in the air and on ground. Then he found himself in a grassland where Chifuyu was drilling a dozen pilots, with Laura at the front. He didn't see an army truck scoop him into the bed. He was bumped all over the cargo area until he managed to plant himself on his knees, after which he got a clear view of Laura leading a team of IS pilots into a covert assignment in the forest and coming out with one precious material, and zero casualties.

Lincoln was whisked away to the general's mansion, where he saw Chifuyu and Laura walking past the enormous rows of flowers. He got off and walked in her direction, then kept a distance close enough to listen to their conversation.

"I hear you've defeated Harfouch in an IS sparring match," Chifuyu complemented, "Starting tomorrow, you will command the Black Hare unit."

"I am all the more excited to display my prowess," Laura at this age was wearing a jovial expression, something that wasn't seen by any of the soldiers (or so Lincoln assumed).

"Careful where you direct that," Chifuyu said, "Strength comes in many shapes and sizes. You never know how you would mold yours until it's too late."

"But I want to become as strong as you are, Mentor," Laura popped the question, "What is it that makes you strong?"

Lincoln stopped and jumped into the bushes, right when Chifuyu stopped and looked down.

Laura saw for the first time a softer, more tender side of Chifuyu that no one ever saw. Certainly one that Laura didn't want to see. A side that directly contrasted the strong, dignified, and confident side that Laura had come to know and admire...

But the final straw came from Chifuyu's own mouth, "I do it for my younger brother."

Lincoln slapped himself with a thorny rose, "Ok, and there it is." He poked his head out at the right time. Everything he needed to know was written on Laura's face.

To say that Laura's world came crashing down would be an understatement. After, the Brunhilde, the mentor, the very thing she aspired to be, the one person who brought her from the depths of despair to the peak of her strength, the peak of her joy, had just revealed where her strength comes from... and in her mind, it didn't come from within. It came from someone else. Someone younger. Someone weaker. Someone that was biologically unable to wield the most powerful weapon in the world.

Lincoln creeped his way to the younger Laura to avoid making a sound. But it didn't matter because as soon as he touched her shoulder, he was back in the void. He did a double double take. Then, he sighed, "Come on...where's the part where I have to say what the takeaway is?..."

**That is why I cannot forgive him.**

"And the creepy omnipresent voiceovers...great..." Lincoln groaned.

**That is why I cannot approve of a male who could make my instructor that way...I want power.**

"Oh no..." Lincoln had a bad feeling.

**Wünschst du es dir? Möchten Sie mehr Leistung erhalten?**

"Bad feeling confirmed..." Lincoln ran into the darkness hoping to find a way out. But the the floor lit up an ominous cloud of blue and gray shades, letting him know that there was only one way out, "Uh...no, no, don't do it!"

**Gib mir diese Kraft. Gib mir unübertroffene Kraft!**

At that point, a massive tidal wave of viscous fluid erupted out of the floor and swept Lincoln away. He was carried high above the surface before violently sinking into the unknown sludge, "Gib mir eine verdammte Pause!"


	24. Still Haven't Found Out Her Mind

EMERGENCY OVERRIDE — CONVERSION OF USER'S WILL INTO ENERGY — VALKYRIE TRACE SYSTEM ACTIVATED

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAGH!"

A desperate cry for help.

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!"

BZZZTZTZZZ-POW!

"Whoooaaaa-ough!"

A lightning storm that trapped the black rain and repelled all who tried to break it.

BYAKUSHIKI — SHIELD 2/100% (CRITICAL)

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAUGH!"

And a black exoskeleton that has lost all form, decomposing itself into a poisonous sludge that engulfed the pilot that tried to control it.

"Agh! Ugh..." and Lincoln just endured all of it in the span of a millisecond, "Where am..."

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAGH!"

"Hey! What's happening?!" Lincoln screamed.

"I don't know," Charles answered.

But Chifuyu did. The IS was changing form using a system banned from research and development. "So, they didn't listen to me..." she turned to Maya, "Security alert, level D."

"Yes, ma'am," Maya nodded.

The entire arena was too stunned to say anything. They sat in silence as Laura screamed louder with every second she walked, until she became consumed by her own IS.

"Oh my head...huh?" Ichika shook off the static from his head just in time to see Laura's IS finalize its transformation, "What...is that thing?..."

The IS was in the midst of morphing into a samurai-like statue when an announcement was broadcast, "THIS IS A STATE OF EMERGENCY. ALL SCHEDULED EVENTS ARE CANCELLED. THIS SITUATION HAS BEEN CLASSIFIED LEVEL D AND WE ARE SENDING IN A TEAM OF INSTRUCTORS TO BRING THIS MATTER UNDER CONTROL. ALL STUDENTS, STAFF, AND PERSONNEL MUST EVACUATE IMMEDIATELY."

Rin, Cecilia, and Houki were no less shocked by this turn of events.

Houki saw the stands shutter barriers, "Are we gonna do anything to help them?"

"More like, _can_ we do anything?" Cecilia shuffled her two companions out of the holding area.

Rin saw the static that was eating away at her Laura's body while her IS morphed. "Poor Laura..." she whispered before the holding areas were sealed off.

Ichika just stood there as the static stopped and the IS had stabilized itself into a figure similar to the Uchigane, with one major difference: the right arm. And he recognized that right arm, "The Yukihira?...just like my sister..." The statue had taken the shape and form of Chifuyu at her prime.

"Emergency!" Lincoln tore off his handicap and redeployed, "Everyone, get back out here now!"

SAVVY SUITE — SHIELD 15/137% (WARNING)

STRONG SUIT — SHIELD 7/15% (WARNING)

NIGHT CLUB — SHIELD 7/18% (WARNING)

HIGH CARD — SHIELD 8/20% (WARNING)

"So, what's the sitch?" High Card asked before looking ahead of her, "Holy shamoley..."

"I'm guessing the Iron Maiden's the 'sitch'?" Night Club murmured.

"She is," Lincoln said, "High, Night, rear guard! Suit, with me!"

High Card opened her disabling app, while Night Club tuned her axe and speaker.

Strong Suit materialized a barbell, "Let's go!"

"NO!" Ichika shouted, "This one's mine!"

"Huh?!" Lincoln stammered, "Can you survive that thing?!"

"Move, Loud," Ichika shoved Lincoln and Strong Suit aside and took his kendo stance, Reiraku Byakuya still active. That prompted the giant grey statue to turn her Yukihira to Ichika.

"Whoa whoa whoa, it's coming this way!" Lincoln threw his cards at it, to no effect whatsoever. Strong Suit tried batting several dumbbells at it, but they were absorbed into the armor.

"This thing's literally iron!" High Card stopped after her apps failed to hack into the statue.

"We can't stop or weaken it!" Night Club stopped playing after she saw the giant dusting itself off.

"I take it back RETREAT!" Strong Suit and Lincoln backed off while Ichika and the statue charged at each other.

Ichika swung at the statue's waist, but he was blocked by a hard swing left, and that was enough to snap his blade in half.

BYAKUSHIKI — SHIELD 0 (EMPTY)

Ichika had just a moment to get off his feet, because the statue used his sister's Full Force technique; in his moment of confusion, the statue brought her blade behind her back, then in a split second brought it down with great speed. Ichika backed away to avoid the sword's full impact, but his left arm got hit. He was rolled backwards, and his IS was forced into standby mode.

"AGH! Gggh..." Ichika gripped his bleeding arm, forcing Lincoln and Strong Suit to defend him.

The statue used the Full Force technique again, but Lincoln was able to deflect it with his wing shield and give Strong Suit a free hit to the shoulders. Suit tried to get to its face, but it easily countered her barbell and cut her down, fizzling her out of existence.

"NO!" Lincoln tried to subdue it with a grapple, but he only managed to make it angrier. He was thrown off her head and slashed with the Full Force strike, losing his IS and gaining a cut from his left shoulder to his right thigh.

SAVVY SUITE — SHIELD 0 (EMPTY)

While High Card and Night Club rushed to Lincoln's defense, Ichika felt another burning urge to attack. Seeing that statue not only mimic his own sister, but perfectly perform her signature technique twice brought back memories of when she trained him by the sword.

"Damn you..." He growled, "You're copying my sister to fight me? How dare you..." He got up and ran towards the giant, "I'LL MAKE YOU PAY!"

"No, don't!" Lincoln held him back, "You'll get killed!"

"Let me go, dammit!" Ichika struggled, "She's really starting to piss me off! I'll destroy her!"

"There's still a person inside! We can't just destroy her!"

"Stay out of my way!" Ichika tugged extra hard, causing Lincoln's cut to bleed. The pain forced Lincoln to jump and collide into Ichika, pinning the two on the ground.

"Ugh-ow..." Lincoln got off and clutched his shoulder, "The hell is with you, man? What's gotten into you?"

"What's gotten to me...is that she's using the same sword engaging technique as Chifuyu..." Ichika glared at the still Brunhilde statue, "That's my sister's...that technique is Chifuyu's alone."

"I-Uh-gik-THAT'S WHAT YOUR BIGGEST PROBLEM IS?!" Lincoln wailed, "NOT THE FACT THAT WE ARE FIGHTING A GIANT KILLER ROBOT GIANTESS WITHOUT ANY GIANT ARMOR?! OR BETTER YET, THAT GIANT MIGHT BE TAKING OVER LAURA'S BRAIN?!"

High Card tended to Charles when she heard the argument, and nothing else, "Well, at least it stopped moving...I wonder why, though..."

"Maybe it's focused on self-preservation?" Charles wondered.

"Then we have time," Night Club approached them, "So, how are we gonna tear that thing open?"

"Well..." Charles stood up, "I have an idea..."

Then, A team of four instructors arrived on the scene and surrounded the giant.

"Oh, good..." Lincoln covered most of his wound with his shirt, "They're gonna handle this...we don't have to do anything..."

"You're wrong about that...you're dead wrong..." Ichika said, "I don't want to fight, but I have to because...because this is about me, too..."

"But what can we do?..." Lincoln panted, "Our ISs are tapped out...where are we gonna get the power?..."

Suddenly, Charles arrived to lend his plan to his two friends, "Actually, sometimes the solution to no power is simply to borrow some." He turned around, "Miss High Card?"

High Card walked to Ichika. "Let me see your bracelet." Ichika put his hand out, and she opened a Bluetooth-like app on her phone, "Now releasing Savvy core bypass." Her signal was strong enough to upload all her energy into the Byakushiki within seconds, "Energy transfer process authorized."

"Energy?" Lincoln gasped, "You mean..."

"Oh, posh," High Card started glowing, "It's not that different from you and Laura." Her cellphone lit up a green check mark, and she started to fade away. "Ok, energy transfer completed. You better not waste it," she said before fizzling out of existence.

HIGH CARD — SHIELD 0 (TRANSFER TO EXTERNAL OUTPUT)

"Dude..." Ichika whispered, "She literally gave her life-"

"Ahh-ts-ts-tsss..." Night Club put her finger on his mouth, "That's a trade secret..."

"What are we doing now?" Lincoln asked.

"It's nothing you need to concern yourself with," Charles took his(her) shirt off and used it to clamp down Lincoln's lower wound.

"Uhhh..." Lincoln blushed.

"D'accord, Madame Night Club," Charles gave a thumbs up, "We are ready to battle."

"Roger!" Night Club turned to Ichika, "Ok, dude. Call it out and let's wrap this up."

"Right...I guess I owe you one," Ichika nodded, then picked himself on his feet, "Reactivating Byakushiki in single palm mode." He placed his hand on his bracelet, took a deep breath, and threw his hand up in the air. A small batch of energy gathered around his fingers and scattered throughout his arm. He was soon blessed with his trusted sword and a piece of armor.

BYAKUSHIKI — SHIELD 7/100% (CRITICAL)

"Oh," Night Club said, "It's only good for the arm and the blade."

"That's all I need," Ichika walked out to face the giant statue once more, with Night Club playing a thumping riff that contained the area of impact to just him and the statue. When he saw the statue respond to his movements, he prepared himself, "Reiraku Byakuya, ACTIVATE!"

POWER SYNC 100% — YUKIHIRA NIGATA - REIRAKU BYAKUYA ONLINE

His entire body was empowered by a golden shimmer as he took his battle stance, "Let's do this, you cheap imitation!" He concentrated on his body, and his glow was directed into the weapon, opening the sword and emitting that familiar blue piercing energy.

The instructors didn't move. Lincoln and Charles sat still. Nothing else moved as Ichika visualized his next strike. Then came the deciding moment. Ichika and the statue lunged at each other. Their swords were angled at an advantageous position. When they collided and swung, Ichika's sword recoiled upward while the statue swung laterally, leaving its chest wide open.

Ichika brought his blade above his head, "HAAAAAA-" and swung down with full force. He cut down the center of the chest and opened up the body. The statue was deformed back into a sludge-like substance. And the pilot trapped inside was released from its hold. An unconscious Laura fell out of the giant monstrosity and into Ichika's arms.

SCHWARZER REGEN — SHIELD 0 (EMPTY)

"Pilot is isolated!" An instructor screamed, "Secure the IS now!" The instructors got to work on removing the Schwarzer Regen from Laura's control.

"Man, That was intense," Lincoln laid back now that the fight was over, "I don't think I'll get back into the arena for a couple months."

"You thought you would die, no?" Charles joked, "Even though he technically defeated her the first time?"

"He rushed in because of sibling love," Lincoln quipped, "I do not count the-wait, what?"

"Ichika could have won had Laura's IS not gone haywire."

Lincoln's mind played the connections game...won the first time...transformation...won the second time...

I WILL BEAT YOU! (I WILL CRUSH YOU!)

K.O.! (SLASH!)

WITNESS MY TRUE POWER! (I CAN'T LOSE!)

K.O.! (SLASH!)

"NOOOOOOOOOOOOO!" Lincoln screamed, "WE JUST LOST TWICE IN A ROW!"

Charles tried to steady him, "Uh, calm down..."

"CALM DOWN?!" But Lincoln got worse, "HOW DO I CALM DOWN AFTER I LOST THEN SHE LOST THEN I LOST AGAIN AND THEN SHE LOST AGAIN?! HOW DO I CALM DOWN AFTER-I feel light..."

"Oh no, not good," Charles took off both their pants and applied more pressure to the cut, "You're overreaction has caused more bleeding. Please try to get some rest."

"Yeah...I think I'll do that..." Lincoln slowly slipped out of consciousness. The world had gone black again...

The next time he woke up, he was back in the infirmary. But this was a separate room apart from the rest of the school. "Ugh...ow..." his shoulder hurt the most, but he was still able to sit up properly, "Anybody get her num-"

He wasn't alone. He had the company of Akina, Hana, and Kim.

"Why's everyone gathered around me?" He asked.

"Why wouldn't we?" Akina said, "You're our friend, aren't you?"

"I know that," Lincoln giggled, "Like I needed constant reminders throughout my battles...where's everyone else?"

"Who do you mean?"

"Laura's in another room with Miss Orimura," Kim said.

"I saw Ichika and Charles at the cafeteria," Hana said, "They weren't too privy with accepting dates."

"Did who when?"

Kim gave him a letter, "It's an official statement from the people in charge."

Lincoln read the letter out loud:

**To all students and staff,**

**after a careful review of the situation that unfolded prior to the rail end of the final match, we have come to an official decision. ****The situation happened just before the Byakushiki was about to strike the Schwarzer Regen, and the blade did make contact before it was removed from striking range. And the incident was resolved by instructors who isolated the IS right after the Byakushiki struck the final blow. **

**Therefore, the situation has no effect on the final decision: the winner of the match, and by extension the tournament, is Ichika Orimura and Charles Dunois.**

**-ISA Admin**

...and promptly dropped it, "Well, shucks...now what?"

"There's nothing left but to go out there and face the biased music," Hana said, "The nurse said you need to eat."

"I don't know if I'm ready for that..." Lincoln muttered.

"We're here with you, Linc," Kim rubbed his head, "Through thick and thin."

"We'll be here to guard your cute little white hair," Akina snuggled him.

"AYYY!" Lincoln's shoulder acted up again, "Can we calm the kawaii mangling a little?..."

Actually, he could've used more of that, because the moment the group checked out of the nurse's office, they were greeted by passive-aggressive taunting and bragging. Lincoln and Laura lost, therefore the students saw it as vengeance for ruining their supposed bet. There were whispers all over the school about who Ichika and Charles were going to choose for tomorrow's extravaganza, and they always found a way to shoehorn absolute scorn for Lincoln in their talks. Especially in the cafeteria, where his group was hit with a barrage of cliches in one instant. Every time they approached a table, there was always a group of students ready to occupy that space. Even when there was an open table,

"Oh, there's a spot."

"Sorry! It's reserved for winners."

"But you're a third year."

"Reserved!"

"Oh, fine."

out of nowhere, groups of three came to occupy. Lincoln's group was eventually forced outside.

"See you later, blabblebutt!"

"Hit some branches, why don't you!"

"I do not want him snooping around in my business."

"How's that American hot dog, Hana?"

"I'm replacing that Korean girl as his new girlfriend."

And so on, until they were outside on the grassy overlook, watching the night sky glistening with little stars and a dancing seas of city lights.

"I have to say," Hana was munching on a ramen noodle, "I've never eaten outside at night before, and I can't believe the city view from here."

"Neither can I," Lincoln said.

"I can just imagine the fervor of a night out in Seoul," Kim fantasized, "Karaoke bars with delicately obnoxious singing and merriment, the thrill of swinging in an intersection and spreading joy-"

"What Seoul did you grow up in?..." Akina winced.

"The Well-Versed kind," Kim winked.

"Which would be-" Lincoln was halted by Akina, "Never mind."

"Oh, it's not that seedy!" Kim glared at them, and Hana laughed.

"It is for me," Hana said, "I grew up under a lucky star, raised well, but I was always shy."

"Well, I came from way below the poverty line," Akina said, "And yet, every single day was an adventure. After hunting and making my meals, I would always come out to a river and see these kind of lights."

"You mean, you never ventured into the shopping district?" Hana asked.

"Nah. All that clothing you'll only wear once, and even then it can chaffe your pelvis..."

"Uh-" Lincoln stopped her before she could make it awkward, "How about tomorrow night, we all go down there? We have a free night, so-"

"I am so there!" Kim cheered.

"Sounds like fun," Hana smiled.

"Our own little field trip!" Akina earned herself some giggles.

"For you, Maybe," Kim teased.

Akina snapped her chopsticks, "What's that supposed to mean?!"

And out of nowhere... "It means you're a base woman with horrible taste in life." ...redux.

The group turned around and saw Kiyoka and Sayuka behind them.

"It's done, alright?" Lincoln turned back to the skyline, "I lost. Can we just leave it at that?"

"Why?" Kiyoka taunted, "So your little ears can snoop into more of our business?"

"You're lucky Ichika won," Sayuka pointed at him, "Otherwise, you'd be in so much more trouble."

"More?" Kim took notice, "You mean, there's more on the way?!"

"Oh, honey," a friend of Kiyoka wagged her finger, "We're never done with someone like him. Shall we say, a rumor?"

"Yeah," Kiyoka clapped, "It's how we got our bet on before albino ruined it."

But before any more face rubbing in could take place, they heard a piercing cry from the open ground below them. Apparently, a student from Class 1-3 tried to ask Charles out on a date, "Why?! I thought you would want to go on a date, and here I am asking you out! Why did you reject me?!"

And this was Charles's response, "Well, seeing how badly you treated my dear friend Lincoln, I have to say... I don't want to date any of you."

Kiyoka's mouth dropped.

"That little...he's your friend?!"

"Why, Yes," Charles's confirmed, "In fact, we have shared secrets that to this day have never left our lips."

"But he's...HE'S...WHAT?!"

"Come on, Charles!" Another student begged him to change his mind, "Isn't there anything we can do to make this right?!"

"I would say, "Apologize to him, and I'll consider it," but that would defeat the purpose of the apology," Charles walked back inside, "So, no. You have permanently lost my trust."

"Did...did he just...reject the school idol?!" Kiyoka freaked.

"Calm down," Sayuka said, "He was hesitant, so Ichika wouldn't-"

Inside the cafeteria, well...

"Oh no... I chose Houki," Ichika shut down fifteen requests in one sentence.

To which the girls screamed:

"Why?!"

"What are you saying?!"

"That's not fair!"

But when one student asked, "What's she got that I don't?!"

"Well, Let's see," Ichika really let them have it, "A childhood friend status, clean slate, willpower I haven't seen anywhere else, pure heart, never once suggested anything dirty, and...oh yeah! She never went out of her way to reduce my friends to trash."

"But I'm your friend!" A student grabbed his hand, "I'm your friend, right?!"

At which point, Ichika got very irritated and made his intentions very clear, "Ah, no. You are my classmate. Houki is my friend. Charles is my friend."

"But we never trash-"

"Lincoln is also my friend."

The final straw. The students in the cafeteria became dejected once they heard that line.

"But!" And someone tried to fight it, "But he made things worse for everyone! He ruined a perfectly good bet-"

"A bet that did not have my permission," Ichika shut her up, "A bet that had no business existing, which involved Lincoln Loud, my friend, who had no business being your punching bag."

Kiyoka and Sayuka were heartbroken. To see the last month of hard work and planning go up in smoke...thanks to the one person they thought would follow their plan, only to go against the tide because...because of "insert metaphor with vomit-inducing eloquence here" one boy.

"Are you seeing this?..." Lincoln was just as stunned as the rest of them.

"Yep," Kim whispered, "Now, that's what I call devotion...scary stuff."

"If this is supposed to allude to a moral..." Akina groaned, "...no. Just no."

Hana shook her head...to the point where she saw a familiar, intimidating figure hiding in the shadow behind the lookout. She nudged Lincoln, "She's here..."

Kiyoka suddenly got angry. She dropped her belongings and stormed over to Lincoln. Her friends followed closely behind.

"What did you do?..." Kiyoka muttered.

"Do did what I?" Lincoln gawked.

Kiyoka grabbed his collar and hoisted him over her head, "WHAT THE HELL DID YOU DO?!"

Only to be interrupted by the Brunhilde, "Kiyoka Aikawa. Sayuka Yorutake."

"Guh?!" The two named individuals turned around, "Miss Orimura?!"

Chifuyu walked out into the moonlight, which caused the entire mood to intensify. She looked at Kiyoka, who suddenly dropped Lincoln onto Hana, then to Sayuka, who was trying to hide her notebook. "Play-acting as usual, I assume?" she demanded.

"Oh, yes!" Kiyoka quickly answered, "Just like usual, heheh, right Loud?"

Lincoln said, "Uhhh..."

"Not right," Chifuyu stopped him, "He was hanging by your hands a few seconds ago."

"I can explain!" Sayuka tried to talk, "We we're trying to-"

Chifuyu put her hands up to silence Sayuka. Then, she stated an unusual punishment, "You two will start the final exams with a -25 penalty. On. Every. Test."

"WHAT?!" The two exclaimed their disbelief.

"And as a special thanks for providing the rumors that circulated in the weeks leading up to the tournament," Chifuyu continued, "the IS Academy will now extend its Open-Door Policy to foreign students _only_."

That really hurt Kiyoka and Sayuka, "WHY?! WHY IS THIS HAPPENING?!"

"Weren't you insistent on sewing his every opening shut?" Chifuyu brought up that line.

Kiyoka sank.

Sayuka stepped back, "What... I don't...who-"

Chifuyu walked away to hide her smirk, "One of the standby instructors heard you from halfway across the stands. And now, every single person knows," Chifuyu waved them good night and went inside, "Enjoy your newfound popularity. You've earned it."

No one moved. No one said a word. No one dared to twitch until Chifuyu was gone.

Kiyoka and Sayuka went pale. A school-wide policy change on account of their own blabber mouths. And the worst part was that the one person they hate...he was just a bystander. He didn't do anything except tell someone they were infatuated with, someone who was friends with the person they hated... and that was the point where they couldn't process any more feedback. Lincoln had broken every single mold of the typical 12-year old foreign male student.

Sayuka slowly spoke, "Uh... we can forget about this, right Lincoln? There's no need to...you know...take it that far?..."

_("Ok...I forgive you.")_

_("I forgave them too early...")_

_("Forgiving you was a mistake...")_

He heard it all before. Someone would make a mistake, then apologize and learn their lesson. And then, bygones would be bygones until the next mistake came around. It's the curse he had to live with back home. He didn't want to bring it here to Japan, but it ended up following him. The strange thing was, it was amplified here. The mistakes were amplified to the point of absurdity. And there was always an apology; if not from him, from someone else. If not the word, it was an object.

_It happened again..._

_Why did it happen like this?..._

_I've had enough._

He wanted no more part of it. He wanted it all to end. And he was going to end it, no matter how long he has to break his standard behavior. "Come on, let's go," Lincoln signaled his group to leave the lookout. And they followed him out, but they left without him...

...because Kiyoka grabbed his hand and halted him, "Can we just call it off and pretend we didn't know each oth-"

Lincoln yanked his hand away, "Ow..." and turned back to face her and Sayuka, "I will never forgive you." He then walked back inside, "Not that you really needed it, right?" He opened the door for Kiyoka and Sayuka to run back inside.

But their friend stopped in the doorway to give him a dirty look, "Are you stupid?!"

"I was," Lincoln responded, giving her the death glare he learned from Lori, "Now, I've smartened up."

The friend knew what he meant and fled in terror. She zipped past Ichika, Houki and Charles when they were meeting with each other.

"What's the matter with her?" Houki asked.

"I don't know," Ichika said, then he remembered what she promised him, "Oh, you know that promise you made to me last month?"

"Oh? Uh...what about it?"

"Well, since I won the tournament," Ichika flipped the script, "I figured I would ask you out on a date. So...you wanna goOGH?!"

Houki grabbed him, "Are you really sure about that?! Do you honestly mean that?!"

"Uh, well, I don't mind g-"

"WAAIII-I mean-" Houki pushed him off before regaining her composure, "Please explain your reasoning to me."

"Well, you're my childhood friend, right?" Ichika reasoned, "And we haven't hung out in over six years, so it doesn't make sense not to!"

"Right."

"And after we finished our date," Uh oh, "maybe we could go visit your relatives? I mean, it must be hard for-GUAGH..."

Houki right hooked his gut, "Rrgh, Why'd you have to bring Tabane into this?!"

"Hey, I never said-YOW!" He blocked a kick.

"I NEVER-wha-uhh..." Houki very quickly realized her slip up and tried to steer Ichika away from it, "I'll see you at the station tomorrow, then...and you better give me the best date ever, you hear me?!" She turned away and ordered two deluxe ramen bowls for herself.

"Whew..." Ichika sighed, "At least I didn't screw up..."

Lincoln tapped Charles's shoulder, "What'd you say to him?"

"I just gave him some advice," Charles winked.

"Nice," Lincoln shared a fist bump with Charles before offering one to Ichika, "Hey, way to score some points, bro!"

"Is that what you call it?" Ichika fist bumped Lincoln, "So, how's your shoulder doing?"

"About as well as you'd expect," Lincoln revealed his entire torso and chest to be trapped in bandages.

"Oh my," Charles saw it, "I see you've discovered the secret to a flat chest?"

"Is it that noticeable?" Ichika scanned both upper bodies.

Lincoln quickly covered his body, "Only when you're on it like that!"

Ichika and Charles laughed at Lincoln's moment of embarrassment, when Maya came along, "Orimura! Loud! Dunois! I've got some wonderful news!"

The trio stood still.

"I know you've been through a lot earlier," Maya cheerfully told them, "So, I thought you'd like to know that we've finally managed to get the three of you a wonderful place that will reward you!"

The boys went

"Huh?"

"What place?..."

"Oy vey."

Maya threw her hands up in grand fashion, "That's right! It's a new men's bathhouse!"

Lincoln couldn't go because of his body still healing, so he opted for the massage chairs just outside the pool area, "Ahhhhhh...nothing beats a clean and tough fight like a loose soft wind down..." the chair hit a good spot "Ohhhhh, this is life, I tell you what..." From a nearby window, he saw Charles(Charlotte) enter the pool and come close to Ichika. Without her chest covererer. "Nope," he shut the chair off and left.

Lincoln took one step inside the residence hall, and already he felt a drastic change in the atmosphere. He saw the reason for the change on the digital bulletin board beside him:

**It has come to our attention that a first-year student has been the target of secondhand harassment and bullying from students of all years, nearly all of them Japanese students. This is unacceptable. This also violates several rules and regulations, and is the subject of an ongoing investigation that, to our dismay, was initiated during the Class tournament. We must remind you that as future leaders of the next IS generation, you are expected to maintain the highest standards of conduct, especially when it comes to the world community as a whole.**

**-ISA Admin**

Lincoln was disheartened. He knew that this drew from his own conflict this past month. He thought the announcement would make his relations with the students worse, by singling him out as the primary source of all impact of the rumors and rude gestures. Which, unfortunately, wasn't entirely wrong.

He shook his head and walked into the hallway. Students were still mingling, but they quieted themselves once Lincoln walked by them. They knew as well that he was put in the center of the investigation, as well as any changes that would take place. He didn't pay any mind to them and walked by Kiyoka and Sayuka's room and heard a light sobbing, followed by what sounded like four girls inside. He decided to listen to the conversation.

"ONLY FOREIGN STUDENTS?!"

"Yeah...Miss Orimura said so herself..."

"That's not fair! On account of him?!"

"Big mistake! Absolutely not! They're gonna give him way too much power!"

"What are we gonna do, Sayuka?! Everything we worked for is-"

"Done. I'm withdrawing."

"What?! Why?!"

"I'd rather keep some of my dignity than lose it all to that American."

"Don't say that! We can still-"

"NOTHING WORKED! EVERY TIME WE DO SOMETHING TO HIM, HE ONLY GOT STRONGER!"

"But...but..."

"We failed...he's going to payback us...I'll withdraw as well..."

"Typical," Lincoln hissed softy so that no one could hear him, "You're too cowardly to admit that you screwed up." He walked away and entered his room, where he saw Laura standing outside in the balcony looking up.

As expected, Laura was the first to act, "What took you so long?" She said with a much softer tone.

He walked over to her, "Uh...hello again."

"Who am I?" Laura suddenly asked.

"Entschuldigung?..."

"That was the question Mentor asked me when I was down. She came to me and demanded to know who I am."

"Uh-huh...and what did you say?"

"That's the thing... I couldn't say anything. I couldn't look at her directly in the eyes."

"Was the question that important?"

"All my life, I only had one purpose: to fight, as the ultimate soldier in all types of combat. My strength was drawn from the very best of the best. Discipline, duty, and pride. And here you come, from a place I detested, from a place I considered to be my Mentor's weakness... and yet you stand on equal footing with me."

"I wouldn't say that," Lincoln sat on the rail, "I still couldn't tell a double split kick from a ballet twirl."

"And yet you were able to take out Dunois."

"Oh...that...well, that was just-"

Laura walked back inside and changed from her school uniform to her army uniform, "Let's get this right: I'm not going to abandon my goal, no matter what."

Lincoln hopped back inside, "And what is your goal?"

"To be the strongest."

"Uh..." Lincoln was stumped, "Why are you telling me this now?"

"Because I have gotten as far as I could by myself, but I can go no further," Laura finished changing and looked at him, "I believe you will help me move further in my path."

Lincoln knew exactly what she meant. She still clung to the purpose she was given at birth because that was her identity; that was all she knew. To upend that purpose by telling her that there's far more to life than strength would cause an identity crisis way worse than his own when he deigned himself to taking pies to the face, or embarrassing himself on a nationwide scale. He was able to adjust to it because he already was, and he knew who his friends were.

Laura knew who she was...sort of. She was a soldier, a veteran, a pilot. But strip all that away...who was she?

Lincoln realized that tomorrow was a free day, so... "Why don't we take that first step together?"

"Hm?"

"I mean...ugh, how do I say this, ummm..." Lincoln scratched his head, "When Miss Orimura asked you who you are, and you couldn't respond...what did she say afterwards?"

"She said...

_("If you're no one, then that's perfect. From now on, you are just Laura Bodewig. But remember...you will never be able to become me.")_

... and that's that."

"And I thought Lisa's tests were cryptic..." Lincoln rubbed his eyes, "But...whatever. She just means you need to discover yourself outside of the army. Outside of being the best."

"I suppose...the army is all I knew until I made the choice to come here."

"And now you know a little more?" Lincoln got on the bed beside her, "We can build on that and ease you into the world around you. And maybe then, you'll be able to see where Ichika's and Miss Orimura's and my strength come from."

Laura's interest peaked, "You mean, go out to mingle with others?"

"No, just the two of us," Lincoln turned off his brain, "We have a free day tomorrow, and there's no future events scheduled, meaning no training or studying. And something tells me you don't want to stay inside all day."

Laura thought about it...really thought about it. She told him that they were constantly at war. And even then, he didn't care, just as long as he could learn together with her. And learn he did, as he ended up making her stronger in the process.

"Besides," Lincoln added, "It helps to know yourself and know your friends, right?"

There was more to power than Laura thought. And she wanted to know, "We will depart tomorrow, 0640 sharp."

"HAA?!" Lincoln flipped, "We've been doing that forever! Why do I-"

Laura placed her heel on his shoulder, "Is there a problem?"

"*GULP*...no, ma'am..."

"Good," Laura took her belongings and went to the shower.

"Haahhhhhhhh..." Lincoln pondered the potential consequences of what he had just done. And knowing the speed of rumors among high schools worldwide... "Yep...Ronnie Anne's gonna kill me..." He got his laptop out and prepared a lengthy email.


	25. The Second Lesson in Being a Hero

The next day came, and as expected...

"*YAWWWWWWWWWWWSIGHHHHHH...tsk-tsk-tsk..."

...Lincoln was still dazed. Coming from the drama of yesterday, he thought he would get some much needed recovery sleep. However, his alarm clock was replaced by Night Club's sudden pop-up concert. So, here he was, waiting for the 6:45am monorail. He didn't see Laura on the entryway, so he thought she would be hiding somewhere inconspicuous. He stared upward at the tv screen, "Two more minutes...come on, where could she-" he took one step backward, and wherever his foot was slipped, "YAA-OOF!" and made him keel over, "Oh good gravy..."

"It looks like gravy."

"WAAAHAHAHAAAA!" Lincoln rolled over and saw Laura sticking out of the ground, "How did-when did-"

"Same way you did," Laura climbed out of the hole, "I walked."

"Guhuhuh..." Lincoln patted his heart, "Noted..."

"Your perception has suffered," Laura pulled him up, "You cannot relax just because the mission is over."

"DOES THIS LOOK LIKE A TORPEDO TO YOU?!" Lincoln screamed right when the train pulled up into the station, with a new sleeker design.

"As a matter of fact," Laura smirked, "it does."

Lincoln yanked them both inside, "Oh, kamikaze over me, why don't you..."

On board the train bound for the mainland, Lincoln held a brochure of the district to act as itinerary, "Ok, so we'll go to the cafe to charge up and get a feel for the friendly banter. Then, we'll join the 9am sunrise gathering in the-"

"What kind of nonsense are you blabbering on?" Laura groaned.

"Our plan for the day," Lincoln said, "I told you I wanted to show you the world outside the army."

"Yes, never mind that half of the activities in this brochure are for the utterly wealthy who have too much free time."

"Exactly," Lincoln reasoned, "How long have you been in the army?"

"My entire life?"

"Do you get paid?"

"Well, I am classified as a living breathing person..." Laura soon realized that she never once set foot outside her military life; ergo, she never spent a cent, "...oh."

"Uh-huh," Lincoln nodded, "I'm willing to bet that what we're gonna do today will make a small dent in what's in your wallet."

Laura sighed, "Very well..."

SAVVY SUITE — SHIELD 78/137%

So Lincoln said, but he was still very aware of what happened the last time he set foot outside the Academy. To that end, Strong Suit, Night Club, and High Card have been called to act as pseudo-bodyguards for the adventure.

They rode the train all the way to the station plaza, where Lincoln and Laura made their way into a coffee shop. It was a lot like the coffee shops back home, except for the menu; it's items were more convoluted into the naming.

"Uh, can you understand any of this?..." Lincoln asked.

"How do I know what a Jappuchino is?" Laura griped.

"Can I help you?" The barista made them come to the counter. When they stepped forward, she instantly recognized Lincoln, "Hey! I know you!"

"Aah, no, I think you got me confused with someone else!" Lincoln covered his face.

"No! I do!" The barista squealed, "Ah! You're that squirrel boy!"

"Oh my god..."

"Squirrel...who?" Laura tilted her head.

"Guys, guys, come quick!" The barista called out the rest of her staff, "Squirrel Boy's here!" Sure enough, the rest of the crew swarmed the front counter, with coos and taunts that made Lincoln uncomfortable:

"Hey, do that squirrel pose again!"

"How did they pick you to be a pilot?!"

"I wanna stuff his face with nuts!"

He thought about fleeing the cafe until he saw High Card send a text.

The cafe crew all got their cellphones out ready to snag a picture of Lincoln. And they all got the same text:

UNKNOWN NUMBER: Look to your right.

The crew did just that. Outside, right window. Strong Suit was twirling a 1000-lb barbell. Night Club was slapping a literal axe. High Card sent another text to all of the crew and put her cellphone up to the window:

UNKNOWN NUMBER: **NOT. ****ONE. ****PHOTO.**

Everyone got the message loud and clear.

"Uh, on second thought," the barista hurriedly slapped everyone's phones away, "Why don't we treat you two?"

Lincoln poked upward, "Are you serious?"

"Uh-Yeah!" Another barista said, "You two are from the IS Academy, so we give you a free drink once a month!"

"(We seriously do that?)"

"(Now, we do!)"

Five minutes later, the two pilots got a free hot tea something. Laura blew gently and sipped her cup just fine, "Ahhhh...Lincoln?"

"Yeah?..."

"How much ice do you plan to use?"

Lincoln was virtually dumping ice cubes into his cup, "Until they stop melting in a millisecond," gonna be a long morning.

Laura sighed and looked out the window. She saw Night Club already kicking up a crowd with her guitar.

"WHERE! HAS MY SHOUNEN! GOOOOOOOOOOOOOONE?!" With screamo music.

"Ich bin mit dumm..." Laura kept at her tea, until Lincoln spread the brochure on the table.

"We can actually stay for a little bit," Lincoln said, "This cafe has the best view of the sunrise in the prefecture!"

"How would you know that?"

"One: this brochure was updated last week," Lincoln then pointed to the window "And two..."

Laura didn't realize that the area Night Club was rocking in was just an open platform, an open area that offered nothing but the view of the entire prefecture from on high, until now, "How high are we?..."

"Well," Lincoln read the brochure, "This is the only monorail to the Academy, so...pretty high." The moment the sun's very first rays peered over the horizon line, the trio of sidekicks halted their activities, and Lincoln and Laura were immediately captivated.

The sun's rays melted well with the dark blue of the morning sky. As the sun slowly rose, the blue sky slowly opened its curtains and peered a blend of orange and peach into the landscape. The sun blooms on the horizon, golden petals stretching ever outwards into the rich blue. It is the brilliant flower of the sky that warms our days. It is the invitation to a new-

"Are you reading off the pamphlet?" Laura butt in.

Lincoln froze, "Uh...yes?"

Laura sneaked a wire dagger to snatch whatever was behind his back. The two then left the cafe and went outside, where they were able to take in the combined majesty of the sun, air, and the mountainous view that lay before them.

"Wunderbare landschaft..." Laura marveled.

"Is this the first time you've seen a sunrise?" Lincoln asked her.

"Don't be stupid," Laura tried to brush it off, "I've witnessed plenty of sunrises."

"Where?"

"In the Middle East. And Russia."

Lincoln smugged her, "While not blasting away at any enemies?"

Laura pouted, "Dangit..."

"Haha, I kid," Lincoln stretched, "Though, how does it feel to get a warm tingling after a brisk cold breeze?"

"Well..." Laura pondered over the thought, "It felt...alright..."

"Good," Lincoln suddenly grabbed her hand and dragged her across the station, "Because the sunrise gathering starts in thirty!"

"We can get there in twenty minutes with the monorail!" Laura scrambled to get out of his grip.

"Or..." Lincoln stopped when they reached the edge of the platform, and pointed below them, "We can take a shortcut to town."

"For what?!"

"To obtain non-IS transportation," Lincoln reasoned, "And to enjoy more of the non-war environment."

"You really have no shame, do you?" Laura cringed.

"Hey, you beat the shame outta me," Lincoln responded.

"What was in that tea you-" Laura didn't finish. Lincoln jumped the cliff mid sentence and skipped down the rocky staircase, right onto a hiking trail.

Strong Suit tapped her shoulder, "Should we go after him?"

"No," Laura deployed her IS, "Meet me at the clearing..." and hopped down.

"I'm pretty sure someone caffeinated my tea..." Lincoln found himself unable to control his energy, "I wonder if my gorilla skills have improved any." He deployed just his arms and started pounding his way through the woods, "OO OO OOOOGA AOOOGA OO OO OOOOGH!"

Meanwhile, Laura was hovering around the clearing looking for any possible disturbances in the tree line, "How did I get myself into this mess?..." Once she saw a rustling in the trees, she fired two wire daggers at that spot. "That ought to-" YOINK "-argh...how...what..."

Her wires wrung around Lincoln's arms. He was using them to pull her down. He deployed his legs the instant he saw magenta and buried his feet beneath a root, "Yep! Definitely caffeine!" He felt a sharp tug and crossed his eyes trying to maintain contact with the ground.

"ENOUGH!" Laura gave it one more tug and uprooted him. A little too hard, as he was brought within her kissing range before she had a chance to use her AIC. The moment she stuck her hands out, he was caught in them, in a sort of awkward robotic hug.

Frozen in the moments.

They went "Uhhh..."

Next second, they were sitting in a bus stop looking away from each other. Lincoln had a black eye, and Laura had pink cheeks. The sidekicks sat atop the light post waiting for one of the pilots to say something. For ten whole minutes.

Lincoln finally mustered the courage to break the silence, "Well...shall we?..."

"Yes, let's..." Laura said inaudibly and followed him.

They walked down the street that was perfectly aligned with the sun rising. Laura kept in mind the warmth of the sun's greeting, allowing it to carry her feet onward through the blistering cold gravel. She looked at the person taking the lead an thought, "You looked in my journal, didn't you?"

Lincoln started to talk back, "What are you talking abo-" until she opened her journal to the very page containing the very sunrise soliloquy that Lincoln just recited, "Must've slipped?..."

Laura squeezed his hand very tightly, "No one else must know."

"Right...secret...ow..." Lincoln yanked his hand back and massaged it, allowing Laura to take the lead toward the gathering site. He walked behind her, "You see anything you want to check out?"

Laura scanned the buildings and stores that were waking up to the sun, "No. None of them have any striking qualities. I would prefer something more colorful and simple."

"Colorful, _and_ simple?" Lincoln had never heard that phrase before, "What does that even mean?..."

Suddenly, Strong Suit! "Seriously? Your sister Leni would weep."

That annoyed him, "Oh, just because you had one conversation with-"

"For shame, bro," Night Club shook her head and took Strong Suit away, "For shame."

"Aren't you supposed to be bodyguards?!" Lincoln snapped at them, only to get two tongue disses in return. High Card wasn't helping at all; she ran to the top of the buildings just to snap pics of the sun.

"Why do they keep disturbing the peace?" Laura asked him.

"Because they basically my sisters if they had superpowers," Lincoln groaned.

"You have ten exceptionally athletic sisters?"

"Haha, no. Just one."

"Then, why did you manifest your sisters' personalities into those..." Laura saw Strong Suit come out of a store in 25 weighted training robes, "...things..."

"I'm not really sure..." Lincoln answered, "Maybe I only put the best qualities in them?"

"So, your strength comes from your family?"

"Cultivated, more like," Lincoln found the gathering site, "And not the good kind." He walked ahead of her and found his way to a plaza by a lake. The gatherers noticed his presence and instantly recognized him as the Squirrel Boy that went savage on five matches. They couldn't do anything to him for fear of immediate retribution, so they just backed away from him.

Lincoln saw it all settled himself on the ledge, "Never thought I'd see that..."

Laura sat beside him, "See what?"

"Back home, people used to give me a friendly wave. Now, it's like they got just hit by a mysterious plague, and they're making me patient zero."

"What's the matter with being treated like that? None of their opinions should have any impact on what you do."

"But it does. And I cannot figure why for the life of me."

Laura was about to counter that statement when she suddenly remembered what she did when she was training with Chifuyu. Her peers would openly voice their opinions in front of her, namely how they couldn't believe that the Brunhilde would train a defective product; that made her train even harder. "Is there anyone who isn't born from words?" She thought.

Just then, the sun had fully risen over the horizon and showered its radiant glow all over the gathering. The crowd instantly felt its warmth and began to embrace the sun, and each other, snapping selfies and photos, several of which were photobombed by High Card.

And Laura instantly felt a creeping sensation of coziness all over her upper body, "Well...this is..."

"Everything you said it would be?" Lincoln quipped.

Laura looked away, "How much of it did you read?..."

"All of it," HONK "There's a lot of sun stuff in that volume..."

Laura dragged them both into the icy cold water below.

Luckily, there was a sentō where they could recover from the freeze. Unluckily, it wasn't gender-separate. Lincoln wasn't too keen on scrubbing every inch of Laura's incredibly long hair.

"Did you ever think about getting a hair cut?" He said.

"What for?"

"Uh...So no one tries to grab it mid-battle?"

"The IS would be moving too much to allow a still maneuver like that."

Another pain in the scalp. Lincoln grabbed a hair dryer and got to work. Laura noticed he put in more care to her hair than she did, three times as much, meaning they didn't leave until thirty minutes later. When they walked out, Laura couldn't stop feeling her hair.

And it unsettled Lincoln, "How does your hair feel now?"

"It's weird..." she caressed her hair very carefully, "It feels more like a soft wool ushanka than a protective covering."

"Usha-wuh?..."

"A hat with ear flaps..."

"Ohhhhhh."

"Since when did you care for someone else's scalp?"

"I guess...since Lori bathed me when I was young?" He shouldn't have said that...

"Eww, he still bathes with his sister?"

Lincoln and Laura didn't look behind them. They kept walking as three female teenagers kept gossiping:

"No, he said when he was young."

"Really? I couldn't tell!"

"I just wanna pinch his cute little cheeks!"

"Oh! Wasn't he that squirrel boy? What the hell was he doing?!"

"I heard his sisters tried to kill him."

On that line, at an intersection, Lincoln took Laura's hand and led her to another street. He hid his free (deployed) hand from the teens' view and waited until they came nearby. He tensed up when the teens rounded the same corner he took, but relaxed when they turned opposite his direction.

"Whew...that was too close..." but he couldn't relax yet.

"What was that?" Laura asked.

"Oh...uh," Lincoln stuttered, "I was looking for a shortcut to the bike shop, so I, uh-"

"It's over there," Laura pointed directly behind her, to the bike shop where those teens were still loitering.

Lincoln clenched his butt hole, "Well-I-it-gg-ackackack-...Come on..." He had no choice now. He led her across the intersection and towards the shop, where those teens saw the metal arm he was hiding.

"Shoot, did he hear us?"

"I knew that kid was trouble."

"What about that other guy, the first male pilot?"

"He better teach that kid some manners!"

Lincoln flinched.

_("...maybe you could drill some of those manners into Linky-dink over there.")_

_("I think an etiquette course could clear that right up.")_

The teens fled when they saw him turn his gaze to them.

"So, why are you here?" Laura suddenly brought him back to his senses.

"What are you talking about?"

"I mean, why did you come to the IS Academy?"

Lincoln sighed, "Ok...let's...it's not open for another 15 minutes..." he led her to the nearest bench and sat them down. "I'll get to the point: Long story short, I came here to get away from something."

"Huh?" Laura related what she heard the teens saying earlier, "Get away from family? I thought they were the ones who made you what you are."

"In a way, Yeah..." Lincoln said, "but they're also the ones who opened me up to the horrors of a giant family."

"What do you mean?" Laura asked the big one, to which Lincoln gave her the full backstory on how he came across the IS. And due to her slightly interaction-deficient mind, she understood it vastly different from the other students. Whereas she was kept in isolation and only used for menial tasks, she thought he was outright thrown away.

"And that's how I wound up in this rabbit h..." Lincoln saw her intense glare down, "Ok, it's not as bad as it...Hhh, actually, it is."

"You realize that what they did is tantamount to disowning you."

"Well...I didn't think it was a first, but the more I thought about it, the more I started to wonder... what If I resisted putting it on with everything I had? What if no one came to take the costume off? What if Lynn missed that ball? Or, what if my family was never caught?"

"Why would that matter?"

"Because They're the only family I know. It's nigh impossible to find another."

Laura had trouble processing his own conflicting feelings, "So, how does that translate into this "ends of existence" nonsense?"

"I thought I could forgive them and let it all go, but it ended up following me all the way out here," Lincoln said, then looked past Laura, "Hey, the shop's open! You wanna pick a bike?"

"No, I'll stay out here," Laura said, "Just don't pick that stupid tandem atrocity."

"Uh...right," Lincoln nodded. When he was inside, Laura made sure no one else was looking, then got her journal out and started scratching some words into the pages.

High Card caught the pencil noise and hopped down to the bench, "I would never peg you as a journal keeper."

"I'm not," Laura kept her eyes on her book, "but Clarissa recommended it to me when Mentor left Germany, and I've been making notes since then."

"Notes, huh?" High Card took a snapshot of the journal, and it gave her access to all of its contents, "Notes about the making of a heart, maybe..."

"Most of my days were taking or giving orders without question," Laura said.

"Where'd that come from?..." High Card muttered before seeing Lincoln leave with two rental bikes, "Oh, he's back."

"Uaa!" Laura shoved her journal into her pants and pushed High Card off the bench, quickly returning to her pre-bike posture, before Lincoln could see any of that.

"These guys got a sweet discount, half off for all IS people!" Lincoln said before noticing Laura's cheeks blush against her usually pale skin, "Did you see something before I came back?..."

"It's not your concern," Laura stood up and grabbed a bike, "Let us be off." She took just two steps on the sidewalk before she stopped. And did nothing. Except stare at the chain connecting the two pedals.

"Hello?" Lincoln was already on his bike, "Earth to Laura?"

"I can use these vehicles just fine!" Laura mindlessly blurted out.

"I didn't ask..." Lincoln cautiously stepped towards her, as she was caught in her own bluff, "...do you not know how to-"

"They never had any practical use for the German army," Laura stopped him.

"Not even the motorcycle?"

"It gave away three of my snipers' locations."

Lincoln exchanged the bikes for a tandem. Two minutes later, they were on the road, riding alongside the waterfront.

"This is humiliating," Laura declared out loud, "An elite soldier reduced to piloting a simpleton's machine."

"How do you think I feel?!" Lincoln grunted and panted, "I have to lug 95 kilos by myself!"

"I am 40 kg, mind you!"

"Does that matter?!" Lincoln kept his eyes on the long uphill climb ahead of him, "Oh my god my legs...haaahhh..." he kept pedaling until he felt a sudden burst of speed from behind him, "Hey! Wah! Laura?! Ow feet?!"

"I thought you wanted the help," Laura pedaled along. Well, more like took over, since due to her super soldier upbringing she was naturally stronger than him. She pedaled them all the way to the very top of the hill, "Well...that was more of an exercise than I anticipated."

"What, you're tired already?" Lincoln joked.

"I didn't feel any effort from the front end."

"Oh, it's always the rest that-"

High Card's unusually loud alarm noise silenced them.

"Dude," Lincoln rubbed his ears, "What was that for?..."

High Card pointed to her left. The pair looked in that direction and found a dojo.

"Oh, it's a sacred place," Lincoln stared at the entrance. He found a kendo demonstration in the courtyard, "Ooh! Let's get a closer look!"

"I'm game!" Strong Suit rushed him inside.

Laura didn't pay any mind at first, but decided to follow him when she heard grunting amidst the clashing of bamboo.

In the courtyard, tourists were gathered to witness two seasoned swordsmen fight against each other with greatly controlled ferocity.

"Pretty fiery, those blades," Lincoln commented.

"I suppose," Laura said, "Though, If I were in that fight, I'd never drag it out this long."

"That's not the point..." Lincoln said when the fight ended. Everyone clapped, but Laura was already speaking with a kendo elder. "Oh boy..." he ran over to her when her conversation was finished.

The elder bowed to Laura before turning her friendly gaze to Lincoln, "And this must be the young fellow that accompanied you here."

"Oh, uh, yeah," Lincoln stopped behind Laura, "We were biking up the hill and-"

"There's no need," the elder patted his shoulder, "Your companion tells me you're seeking relief from your past?"

"That's...too deep. How much did she tell you?"

"More than I am able to remember."

"Guh..." Lincoln didn't like where this was going, "Where is she now?..." He turned around when he heard a bamboo blade clacking against the ground. He saw Laura holding another sword for him. Soon enough, he was roped into a sword fight with her. But the weird part was that when he squinted his eyes through the slashed and thrusts, he thought he saw a faint smile on Laura's face. When they were done, they were panting and sweating profusely. Laura was leaning against a tree, while Lincoln was sprawled over the shrine's donation box.

"Question," He asked the elder, "Did Laura ask for that?"

"Actually, she suggested it to me of her own volition," the elder answered to his bewilderment.

"Oh...oh, really..." he sighed, "That's sudden..." he crawled over to Laura, "So, how was it... that swinging session?..."

"It was a...bit revitalizating..." Laura looked at the tiny sun rays peeping through the tree leaves above her. She tried to comprehend the second weird sensation she was feeling just today. This was vastly different from the thrill she felt from accomplishing an important objective. She couldn't tell what it exactly was, but, "Is this what it's like...to live on the outside?..."

"Is it a good feeling?"

"Uh...yes... I think..."

"Well, if you want, we can get more of that feeling."

Laura started to blush again, "Oh, that's not...you don't have to-"

"It's no trouble at all," the elder handed them a glass of cold water, "You're in a town that's ripe with tourism. You two can explore all you want, and then come back in the evening for the autumn ceremony."

"Ceremony?" Laura asked, "Nothing of the occult, I assume?"

"We're in a Japanese dojo! What do you think?!"

"Hahahaha, How it must feel to be so youthful," the elder giggled and helped the two on their feet.

Night Club heard the entire proposal and nudged her two comrades, "Did y'all hear that? Eh? Ehh?"

"Ugh," High Card sighed, "Are we literally doing this?..."

"Oh, yeah," Night Club kicked off an upbeat rock tune, "We're _literally_ doing this."

High Card heard the beloved... "Hey, that's my shtick! You hear me?!"

"Come on now, go!" Night Club powered up her jet pack, "They're getting away!" and flew off.

"Only _I'm_ allowed to say that word!" High Card ran after them, "HEY, I AIN'T DONE WITH YOU! GET BACK HERE!"

And thus began Lincoln and Laura's excellent adventure. The two started their adventure with a private tour of the town on their tandem. Since it was daytime, they got to fully take in the sights, sounds, and sensations of the town. Lincoln took the initiative and powered the bike along the sidewalk, while Laura sat back and enjoyed the scenery. She was able to take in the glimmer of the sky painted on the ocean blue and the lush green splattered throughout the mountains. She was able to take in the vibrant varieties of colors and pleasant winds gently fluttering her hair. She was able to see the people interacting with each other and each object they came across. And she didn't have to lift a bone to be able to relax, something she hadn't considered since her first arrival.

But maybe she should've paid attention, as the lively path of a thousand smiling faces and shade trees led them to an outlet mall, her most disliked thing of all. Unfortunately, this was Lincoln's tour. She had to follow him inside.

And for the most part, it was just as dreadful as she feared. All she did for an hour was try on a horde of different outfits that had no functionality for anything, ranging from too little clothing in one part of the body, to too much clothing, to the outlandish, to the seizure inducing. Though she did find some enjoyment in the black and white outdoor fashion section. That alone prompted another thirty minutes of photos.

Which was immediately dampened by a quick stop at the hair salon. Countless hair stylists tried to adjust Laura's hair, only to have their own hair given horrid haircuts, shaves in some cases. Lincoln lost his crud when he saw the horror hair show she hosted.

The next stop, for some reason, was a book cafe. Lincoln and Laura stopped to grab a quick lunch, but ended up taking an extended buffet due to their status as pilots. They were hesitant to talk to anyone until Lincoln opened up about his IS origin story, which prompted Laura to disclose (the severely redacted version of) her upbringing. Afterward, they ventured throughout the many shelves trying to find a book that they might like. Surprisingly, Laura was captivated by a comic book featuring the Red Panzer. All she did was simply pick it up and read through the halfway point...

... and suddenly, she was in a fantasy world of her imagination, taking her IS into battle against the most vile villains that Germany has ever produced. Left and right, she would strike down all the Nazi loyalists until she stormed the main base, forcing upon the dictator the vengeance brought upon by the horrendous torture they forced upon-

-Lincoln yanked her back to reality, and to a small park.

It was in the afternoon when they walked through the multitude of falling leaves. It was also at this time when Laura was exposed to the many shades of red, orange, and yellow blend together into one gorgeous display of the coming winter. She was so moved by the falling leaves that she didn't notice that many of them had fallen onto Lincoln's hair until he was smack-dab in her face.

"INAMA ABASOO ABILAKAKA!"

It was so sudden that it scared Laura into a laughing fit, which in turn scared all bystanders in the vicinity.

Good thing they ventured out of the town and deep into the winding roads of the forest-riddled mountains. They rode their tandem very far, very fast, so that they could feel the crisp cool air brush against their skin. But when they came across a downhill snake road, their brake pads snapped off, and they were unable to control their speed going into the snake road. A sudden bump caused Laura's hands to fly off her handlebars, and wrap around Lincoln's waist. They were scared of the ever-increasing speed, so their grip on each other tightened and they treated the tandem as a 2-man bobsled. But throughout the entire run, their adrenaline built up, and their concern for their safety was slowly converted into a desire to push their limits.

By the time they were able to safely stop...several miles from the bottom of the mountain...they found a rest stop to refresh their sweaty, burning bodies. Laura was repairing the brake pads while Lincoln was buying two slushees. She was reflecting on the events and feelings of the day, and decided to put them to practical use. She deployed a wire, grabbed the nearest bucket of icy water, and dumped it all over Lincoln.

He was initially frost-bitten and speckledorked. Then he heard a howl of snickering and high-fiving. Finally, he latched onto the magenta wire and reeled himself into a dudette mountain.

From then on, it was a tremendous boss rush of special events. Roller coasters at a theme park, carnival games at an amusement park, combat mission at a laser tag arena, breaking eardrums at a karaoke bar, racing go karts, ramming bumper carts, extreme roller derbies, even a game of DDR on the highest difficulty setting. It all culminated in a ride on the Ferris wheel, where they got a crystal clear view of the city skyline, fully illuminated with its own rainbow nightlife shimmer, and a chance to make one last impression via hidden camera. They somehow snapped nine pictures at the top of the wheel, with the last one being a "Happy Family" photo of Lincoln, Laura, Strong Suit, Night Club, and High Card, all doing the peace sign and hugging each other.

The ended the night by walking the tandem back to the dojo.

"Seriously?!" Lincoln screamed, "How the hell do you still have 20 million euros?!"

"I told you, I never spent a single cent until now," Laura giggled.

"So, how much of that is actually yours?" High Card asked skeptically.

"However much I need," Laura responsed, "The rest is for the military."

"That's an awful lot of research and development..." Lincoln squinted, then took a look at the shrine courtyard, "All I know is, I'm gonna enjoy a nice cup of **_ZUFALL_**?!"

There, in the middle of the lantern-lit, flower-bordered, concrete stoned open space...a tea ceremony prepared by the dojo elder.

Lincoln didn't know how to react to this sudden late night development, but his partner was seemingly entranced by it.

The elder looked up, "Good day so far?..."

"Uh...yeah..." Lincoln exasperated.

"So, this is the sacred tea ceremony I've heard about," Laura approached the low table, "I wouldn't mind a hands-on experience."

"Really?" Lincoln demanded, "You're just gonna accept this...out-of-place wood and hot liquid?"

"Enough complaints, Loud," Laura rinsed her hands and mouth, then sat in a seiza.

"I-I'm not gonna ask..." Lincoln shook his head and followed suit with Laura while the elder carried the kettle.

"So, I trust you youngsters had an enlightening adventure?" The elder said while pouring the tea.

"I was surprised what a day of fumbling around aimlessly could do for my conscience," Laura said.

Lincoln poked her arm, "I wouldn't exactly call what you did in laser tag fumbling around aimlessly."

"They were hugging bodies and blocking their weak points, thereby break the rules of combat," Laura blew on her tea, "It is only natural that they received their just deserts."

"You singlehandedly outscored them 880 to 213..." Lincoln said while Laura sipped her tea smugly.

"Quite a lively journey, I see," the elder smiled, "Did you find what you were looking for?"

"It's only been one day," Lincoln said, "How do we find it in such a short amount of time?"

"I would think that every day has an objective, no?" Laura thought.

"Well, What was your objective?" The elder asked.

"*GULP*PTUI*COUGH*COUGH*...uhhhhhhh..." Lincoln forgot halfway through the morning bike ride.

But Laura didn't, "To discover myself outside of the army."

"Thank you for using my own words against me," Lincoln wiped his mouth.

"You needn't trouble yourself with such a burden," the elder sipped her tea, "Surely you had fun together?"

Laura stopped to think, "Fun..." The word hadn't crossed her mind before. Not even when she first encountered Chifuyu. Not even when she herself took Lincoln as her training partner. Back then, she accepted them because she wanted to grow stronger as an elite soldier, but now that she's had the time to internalize everything...

...she put her teacup down, "Yes...it was fun..." she said, "It was the most fun I've ever had..." because for this one day, nothing mattered. No standards to meet, no expectations, nothing. Just pure fun and entertainment for no one's sake, "I didn't need much effort to find myself in that endless sea of useless events..."

So, Laura was...ok.

But Lincoln was having a bit of an existential crisis, "It was more fun than hanging out with Ronnie Anne or Clyde...I've never had this much fun, ever."

"Speaking of which," Laura suddenly remembered one of his mindless ramblings during training, "You said your older sister is girlfriend to Ronnie Anne's older brother."

"Yeah?" Lincoln nodded.

"And Ronnie Anne's your current girlfriend."

"Yeah?"

"Oh, that is a problem, indeed," The elder mused, "What will you do when your older sister marries your girlfriend's older brother first?"

Then, they become in-laws. They won't be dating anymore; they'll be siblings. And Lori and Bobby have seniority, and have been planning a wedding the instant they finish college, before Ronnie Anne and Lincoln reach the legal age.

"I...I hadn't thought about that..." he said.

"That might be a good starting point for your next journey, young man," the elder said, "People nowadays just accept everything at face value. They take one look in the mirror and think that the person they see is the person they truly are, and they model their wants and needs around that image."

"I get what you're trying to say. It's like, "Know yourself, and know your friends"," Lincoln said, "but what does that have to do with me and Ronnie Anne?"

"Well, who are you?"

"I'm Lincoln Loud, a guy that loves adventure."

"And who is Ronnie Anne?"

"She's my girlfriend, and a hardcore tomboy."

"How did she become your girlfriend?"

And then, it hit him. Before she became his girlfriend, all he remembered of her was a nasty bully, stuffing trash in his locker, pantsing him, among other pranks, and each ended in public humiliation. The only reason they got together was because of a phone number thrown at the back of his head. Everything else after...

_("Sorry, Lame-O. Here's my number. Text me.")_

_("Lincoln Loud, how DARE you kiss me at Jean Juan's French-Mex Buffet! You are rude and gross and totally annoying. I'd rather lick the bathroom floor than kiss you!")_

_("You took all those pranks for me. It's the least I could do.")_

...He's Lincoln Loud. He's a guy who loves adventure. He's also far too accepting, "Dangit..."

"And therein lies the problem," the elder said, "Life must be moving too fast for you to truly internalize everything that was happening to you. Thus, you are led to look in the mirror everyday, think about the good and bad things that happened to you, and accept all that as "who you are"."

"Oh...oh, geez..." Lincoln was shocked at how accurate her assumption was, "I guess having life thrown at your face would do that."

"Young people nowadays rarely take the time to think about what it is they truly desire, and even less time to think about why they desire it," the elder decided to end their tea time, "They constantly seek out what they see as self fulfillment, when in reality they are chasing something artificial and pointless."

"Is that so?..." Laura reflected on her quest to become the best.

_("But remember...you will never become me.")_

"So, that's what she meant..." Laura shuddered, as she realized that, technically, to be the best, she'd have to beat the best. Beat her mentor. Without mimicking her.

Though, mimicking would be impossible thanks to Lincoln, "...I am Laura Bodewig."

"Huh?" Lincoln swerved, "That came out of...somewhere..."

The elder nodded, "Is that all you want to say, Laura?"

"Nein, that's not all... I am an elite soldier. I am always strengthening myself, in body and mind. I will always strive to be the strongest..." she looked up at the elder, "...but I am more than a soldier. I am a woman."

The elder saw the spark in Laura's eye and responded favorably, "Good." She turned to Lincoln, "and what about you, Mr. Loud?"

Lincoln took a moment to gather his thoughts. When his mind was clear, he put his cup down, "I'm Lincoln Loud. I'm a guy who loves adventure. I'm also...easygoing, while brooding. I already know who I am, but I don't know where I'm going. I aim to find a place to let go of everything, and if I can't..." he looked at Laura, then turned to the elder, "...then I'll use the baggage I have to get stronger, as a person and a friend."

Laura blushed again. This was the first time she heard someone openly acknowledge her as a friend.

"That's what I wanted to hear," the elder raised her cup. Lincoln and Laura touched their cups to the elder's, and they took one last sip.

The bike shop was closed by then, so they just chained the tandem to the door, with 5000 yen hidden underneath the seat.


	26. Time to Reflect

Unbeknownst to Lincoln...

While the Class tournament was progressing to its final stages in Japan, a football tournament was wrapping up in Michigan. Lynn was carrying the entire Royal Woods sports regiment to victory. She just secured a 1st place win for the volleyball team, and not two minutes later was she whisked away to Royal Woods Arena for game 3 of the Area football championship, where she had a run in with Hank and Hawk. They would've done her in before the big game, were it not for the angry banshee voice of Tabane, and the return of the Roosters quarterback.

And it mattered. Every offense play, the Royal Woods Roosters threw the football to Lynn; it always ended in her getting tackled and or pounded. Every defense play, she was always the one who had to stop the ball from getting to the end zone, while her teammates were absolutely powerless to help her.

Two minutes left of the fourth quarter, and no score from either the Roosters or the Hockers, who currently have control of the ball. The final timeout of the game was used, and Lisa was helping Tabane with recovery efforts.

"Muscles glasses," Tabane said.

"Fatigue sensor," Lisa handed her a tool to rub all over Lynn.

"Jo dab lord," Tabane tossed the glasses away.

"Enoxacin," Lisa rubbed medicine on Lynn.

"MOIST!" Tabane pointed to Lisa's wristband health monitor.

Lisa tapped the screen and read its complex waves, algorithms, and tiny diagrams in less than a second, "Peak performance reduced to 55%."

"Dangit," Tabane muttered.

"Hey, why's she getting special treatment?!" A teammate demanded, "What about the rest of us?!"

Tabane snapped her fingers, "Chloe," and a demure woman with long silver hair appeared before the teammate and opened her eyes, thereby trapping the two in a nightmare world of her conjuring, "Eye see you."

"He is right about one thing," the quarterback said, "Every time we get out there, it's always five guys gunning for Lynn. Why don't I throw the ball to someone else for a change?"

"Because She's the fastest on our team," the running back moaned, "No one can catch the ball like her."

"Not anymore," a teammate ran to them, "Rabbit head said that she's out for the game."

"What?! What are we gonna do now?!"

"We need to come up with something else."

"Hey!" Lynn limped her way to her team, to their shock, "I ain't out yet! And I got me a plan to win this!"

"Really?" One teammate was skeptical, "You have a plan?"

"How are you gonna win us this thing?!" Another teammate bemoaned, "You can barely walk!"

"Well, if you don't mind huddling up, I'll tell you," Lynn demanded. The rest of the team begrudgingly gathered to hear her so-called plan. Ten seconds later, they were huddled around the Roosters 25-yard line, scared witless. They stared at the Hockers and prepared for the worst.

"Any last words, mud head?" Hank grinned.

"You wanted me? Well, you got me," Lynn gave back a weak smile as HIKE was called. Hank snapped the ball to his quarterback, then ran into the end zone. Once the ball was thrown, Lynn made her way towards the ball, with nearly all the Hockers stampeding towards her. At the last second, she sidestepped to her right, avoiding a massive pile on. She quickly moved behind her, placing herself out of the ball's range of catch. But it didn't matter, because she was hit by the Hocker who was meant to get that ball. One of the Roosters caught it instead.

Lynn was knocked back onto the field. She ran after the player who caught the ball, trying to protect him from oncoming threats. Sure enough, she saw Hawk blazing through the field and got in his way. This sent all three of them out of bounds, but at least the Roosters have the ball.

"Uhhhh..." Lynn groaned, "Not yet... gotta-"

"Come on, Lynn-er," her teammate hoisted her up, "We still got a long way to go..."

A long way indeed. The rest of the clock was spent making plays with minuscule gains. The same tactic was always used: Lynn snapped the ball to the quarterback, then she would run towards the ball without catching it. Someone else would always have to be there to get the ball when she inevitably collided with several Hockers who thought she would get the ball.

Ten seconds left in the game, and the Roosters made it to the 10-yard line. Hank and Hawk were infuriated.

"WHAT THE HECK WAS THAT?!" Hank screamed, "WE KEEP GUTTING THAT TOMBOY, SO HOW DID WE WIND UP COWERING IN OUR OWN TURF?!"

"Whatever, man!" Hawk pushed, "You Keep your eyes on Lynn! I'll get the ball."

The players gathered around the ball. Everyone prepared for the snap.

Especially Hank, "I'm through with you. I'm gonna beat you so bad, you'll be wearing your lez-sis's kisses on your bruises."

"That made no sense," Lynn whispered right when HIKE was called. As soon as Lynn threw the ball behind her, she guarded herself.

Hank plowed into her. He rammed her so hard, he carried her all the way to the 20-yard line with just his elbows. He flung her off him and sent her rolling. Lynn stopped herself with her leg and spat out blood.

"AND STAY DOWN, PUNK!" Hank screamed before hearing a whistle go off and the crowd go wild. He then looked up at the scoreboard and saw the Roosters' score light up 6, "Wha...how?! Hawk was supposed to-" He stopped when he heard Lynn chuckle, "WHAT'S SO FUNNY?!"

"I...I knew you would come after me..."Lynn propped herself on her elbows, "So now...they're gonna give the ball...to the weakest players, people you would ignore..."

Hank had been had. This whole season, Lynn was purposefully the only one who scored points, and this was the game she decided to hand things off to her team.

Hank got pissed, "Cud chewing heffer sucking-"

Lynn passed him, forcing him to go back for the one-point conversion, which the Hockers successfully prevented.

With one second on the clock, and the Hockers in control of the ball, the Roosters gathered round for one final plan. Lynn turned down a nano-injection and joined the quarterback.

"Alright, we need to prevent an overtime, for obvious reasons," the captain said, "Lynn, what's your plan?"

"Well, They're gonna make one of those fat gumballs plow the thing down here..." Lynn thought.

One of the Roosters caught on to what Lynn was implying, "Oh, no! No no no, you are not throwing your neck out again!"

"It's the only way..." was all Lynn said before the final whistle blew to resume play.

The final play. The Roosters and Hockers were lined up at their respective yards. The Hockers were channeling their overwhelming anger into their inevitable charge. The Roosters were motionless as they waited for Lynn to wind up the crowd and send the ball out of their hands.

"Coarse drink?!" Tabane was frantically bouncing up and down as Lisa and the white-haired woman did their best to calm her down.

"Lincoln...I hope you're watching..." Lynn whispered, "This one's for you..." she took one more deep breath and did the signature "COCK-A-DOODLE-DOOOOOOO!" Then, she kicked the ball away from her and stayed behind while the rest of her team tried to prevent the rest of the Hockers from getting to their end zone. She saw the ball fly into Hawk's hands, and she still didn't do anything, not until she saw Hank and Hawk blazing down the field. She ran towards the pair, hopping between Hank and Hawk's paths. When they were close enough, she straffed left, prompting Hawk to shove the ball to Hank and charge ahead of him. She switched again and got directly in Hank's reach. She was about to tackle him-

"OUTTA THE WAY, BIRD BRAIN!" -but Hawk grabbed her by the face protector and threw her out of bounds, finally knocking her out.

Hank and Hawk high fived each other as they waltzed the ball to the end zone, throwing their usual taunts and dances at the rest of the field. And no one joined in on their celebration. Even their own teammates were somewhat appalled by what they did. But Hank and Hawk didn't care.

At least until they heard a whistle go off. That's when they stopped dancing and stared at the field. And saw the dreaded yellow piece of cloth.

"PENTALY BEFORE THE TOUCHDOWN ON THE ROOSTERS 14," a referee declared, "PERSONAL FOUL. HOCKERS NUMBER 97, FLAGRANT PERSONAL FOUL. INJURY TO ANOTHER PLAYER, YANKING THE HELMET DOWN." Then, the final nail in the coffin: "TOUCHDOWN IS INVALIDATED. THE HOCKERS WILL NOT SCORE."To a wild audience, the referee made final, "GAME SET, 6-0. ROYAL WOODS WINS."

"OH, HELL NO!" Hawk shouted.

"TAKE IT BACK, OR ELSE!" Hank stomped towards the referee before suddenly having his jersey ripped off by his coach, "Agh! Hey, who the-"

"Not. One. Word."

"Uh, coach?" Hank panicked, "So, uh, did you see how the game was-"

"Ruined because you and your dumb frat bro couldn't control your egos?" The coach growled, "Yes, I saw."

"Come on!" Hawk attempted to please with the coach, "You know we would've won if-"

"SHUT YOUR PIEHOLE!" The coach ripped off Hawk's jersey as well, "I want you two to get your crud out of the locker room, and never come back."

"But-but coach-"

"AND NOW, I'M GONNA ASK THE PRINCIPAL TO PUNISH YOU TWO HOLDOVERS!" The coach bellowed before stomping out of view.

"Tch, who needs him anyway?" Hawk gloated, "We got what we came for, right bud?"

"Can't argue with that," Hank grinned at the sight of the players trying to tend to the unconscious Lynn, "We finally got to give her a piece of her own bi-" (And in the blink of an eye, they were taken off the field and sent into a black void, "Yo, What is this?!"

"Dude, maybe it's one of those IS things," Hawk guessed, "Heh, I guess his gaywad of a bro couldn't handle the beating and came back to save her!"

"The IS is a woman's weapon! You ain't no man!" Hank taunted, "Lose the cold metal ass and face me like a little boy!"

Upon that notion, the void was suddenly filled with a pool of blood.

"Oh, shoot..." Hawk was suddenly overcome with a feeling of nausea, "Bro, look away...I'm getting queasy..."

"Nice try, albino!" Hank shouted, "You're gonna have to try better than that!" All of a sudden, his shirt was stained with Hawk's vomit, "Ugh! Dude!"

"Wasn't me..." Hawk was too far away from him to puke on him.

"What?!" Hank suddenly grew scared, "Then who-" Just then, he had the urge to puke, "Oh god...who's doing..."

Then, an eerily pleasant womanly voice from behind, "Hello, Hank."

"Urgh...bllghhh...the hell are you..."

"My name is Chloe Chronicle..." the voice said, "but you may refer to me as..." Then a blood-curdling High-frequency noise boomed and made them puke uncontrollably, "...The White Death.")

Hank and Hawk collapsed on the field. Everything they were experiencing was a just an illusion. But their reactions definitely were real. Yet no one paid any attention to them, except for the white-haired demure Chloe woman and Clyde.

"Whoa..." Clyde moves in closer, "What is happening to their brains?"

"Please," Chloe said with open eyes, "I must ask you not to approach them, else-" Clyde looked into her eyes and suddenly fainted, "-you be trapped as well. Hauuhhhhh..." she closed her eyes and released them from the illusion.

Clyde was the first to wake up, "Whoa... I had the weirdest dream...my nosebleeds created this river-"

"Ah-Ah-Shhhh..." Chloe shushed him, "You better keep this between us."

"Oh...gotcha..." Clyde gave her a thumbs up before scurrying off to the locker room.

"Well," Chloe said, "It appears that my work is done." She attempted to leave when Tabane blindsided her with a hug.

"AKATSUBAKIIIIII!"

"Wha...uh, Master-uy-" She was flipped over and caught by her waist.

"Akatsubaaaaaa-KI!"

Chloe knew what this was. Tabane always acts like this whenever she gets a massive wave of inspiration. The bigger the wave, the bigger the project... and the worse the eccentricities.

"Akatsubaaaki! Akatsubaaaki!" Tabane started riffing La Cucaracha, "Ko u chi ku shi ma suuuuuu~"

"Master, please-"

"Akatsubaaaki! Akatsubaaaki!"

"Get ahold of yourself-"

"Saikō no okurimonoooo!"

"EEK! YOUR BRA!"

"ARRRRRRIBAAAAAAAAAAAAA!"

Lynn was shuttled to a hospital for possible head and body injuries. During her time out, she had a massive introspection, analyzing everything that happened within the past few months and relating it to Where wand her family stood now.

Lynn couldn't make every single video chat, but she made certain to send him an email with something about anything. She kept it up every day, in spite of the majority of her messages not getting a reply. But a month ago, when she heard

_("LORI! LUNA! LENI! HE KNOWS! HE KNOWS EVERYTHING!")_

she thought her world was done for. Bad enough with the bad luck crud, but when Luan explained the entire conversation, she was devastated. Everyone older than Lynn was devastated. That's when Lincoln shut off all communication to home altogether. Add on Lynn Sr and Rita's troubles to control the rumors at work, Lori having withdraws due to her friends' backlash, Luna being roped into a politically messy fight, Luan being forced to take a part time job due to her business going dry, Lola going crazy from her pageantry suspension, and Lisa and Clyde losing their nerves from their own part time job as personal assistants to both Lynn and Tabane...

...well, there was no way to fix this broken bridge. And building a new one was nigh suicidal. Lincoln was everywhere, in the news, social media, and most certainly on everyone's minds. Everything he did, his performance in the battles, even the changes in IS Academy policy, was constantly circulating through the town. Wherever the family went, he was there to eat their minds. There was just no escape from it. That meant immediate action.

What that action was depended on each person, but it all had one goal: to counteract the madness.

And look how that turned out...

Lynn had to extend her stay to be fully treated for her sports injuries, with barely any visits from the younger members of the family. The doctors asked her questions she didn't know how to answer, so they had to run multiple scans on her body just to get an accurate view of what happened. Out of multiple treatment plans, she played by ear and chose the one that would take the least amount of time.

Five days later, she was visited by Clyde and Margo.

"Everyone's talking about your sacrifice play," Clyde showed them the video of Lynn constantly putting herself in harm's way, "They said you paved the way to the championship win."

"Is that right?" Lynn moaned, still aching from the game, "Tell them to send their tears of joy to my foot..."

"Is your body ok?" Margo asked.

"It's like you'd expect," Lynn held up her heavily bandaged leg, "Smooth as a porcupine, and just as cuddly, heheh..."

"Wow, that does look bad..." Margo nodded.

"Where's Lisa?" Lynn asked.

"Helping Tabane out with a special project," Clyde said, "Something about Unfolding Armor or something..."

"I hope she can tough it out..." Margo said, "God knows what kind of godly madness she's gonna force upon her..."

"Were you able to reach out to Lincoln?" Lynn asked, to the disappointment of Clyde.

"Once again, no answer," Clyde said, "I've left a message according to protocol."

"Dang..." Lynn rubbed her head, "What's happening?..."

"A whole lot of crud," Margo answered, "We're all still reeling back from your big play. The doctor says you can't leave yet."

"But what about-"

"It's fine, Lynn," Margo put her hand on Lynn's lap, "The coaches asked me to take over for you."

"Really?" Lynn was a little downtrodden, "Nothing I did clicked? Not even the..."

"Nope," Margo said, "All they cared about was the war."

"Oh..." Lynn rubbed Margo's arm since she couldn't fully move her upper body to hug her, "Well, I hope they don't put you through the lake."

"Hey, I was trained by the best of the best," Margo jokingly punched Lynn's shoulder, "I swallow that fire before it can tickle me."

"Margo," Clyde got a message, "Basketball and hockey are calling you. You got practice in thirty."

"Already?" Margo groaned.

"That's what you signed up for!" Lynn nudged her. And the two shared a handshake before Margo left.

Clyde walked over to Lynn's side, "She's really something, isn't she?"

"Yeah," Lynn said, "She's made it to every single game I had. I don't know what I'd do if she wasn't there for everyone."

Clyde still wasn't used to the somberly acting Lynn and decided to go, "Well, I'm gonna go...Dad and Dad don't know I went here-oof!"

He was stopped by Lynn. Her hand snatched his in a moment of hidden desperation.

"Lynn?" Clyde questioned, "Are you sure you're..."

"Um..." Lynn forced the words out of her diaphragm, "...can you stay a minute?..."

"Huh?!"

"I mean..." Lynn quickly scrambled her brain for an excuse, "I've been here for a week now, and no one came to visit, so...it gets pretty lonely...y'know?..."

Clyde wasn't sure if she really did feel that way, or if she was too prideful to admit that she's hiding something, "Ok...do you have any idea how you sound right now?..."

"I'm very aware..." Lynn seemingly doubled down on her request.

Clyde blushed a little. Not so much because this was the first time any girl ask him to spend a day with her, but because a girl he already spent so much time with asked him. He held out for so long that he didn't realize how much time he spent making sure Lynn didn't get into any serious trouble. Until now. He realized that they had gone beyond friends without knowing it.

"Uh...well..." It took a while, but Clyde gave in, "I guess I could stay a while...I mean, today's a free day, so..."

"Yeah, I'm sure our parents are busy with their own crud."

Clyde ended up staying the whole day.

Meanwhile, Luna was waking up from a long nap in Sam's house. For the third day in a row, she had to flee the toxicity surrounding the house, what with her sexuality being made public. She's been drawn into a squabble about her brother's sexuality, and whether or not being an IS pilot would turn him gay. It would be tolerable, if not for Lola's flippity-floppity motormouth. The less said about her, the better.

Luna stretched her limbs across the basement sofa. Her arm accidentally knocked over her guitar, which toppled an entire stack of songs she and Sam wrote together, "Ah, shoot!" She caught her guitar in time, but her stack of journals was toppled, opening to whatever they felt like showing her, "Great...gonna take me forever to-" She stopped when her hands ran across a certain set of words:

_(I'm the lighting rod that defies the vengeance over the skies.)_

"Man, that takes me back..." Luna was instantly reminded of her last meeting with Lincoln, and all the memories that came with it...

_("Luna! Big problem! Lincoln got whacked!")_

_("What?! LINCOLN! LYNN! What did you do to them?!")_

_("I didn't do nothing! They came to me-")_

_("DON'T LIE TO ME, SLEAZE BAG!")_

...including that one, "Ugh, I need a drink..." She went upstairs to grab a quick drink. Instead, she ran into Sam and her brother.

"Morning, Lunes," Sam greeted, "You look like you've been through the desert."

"Yup," Luna sat at the kitchen table, "No name, no pain, and no river."

"Geez..." Sam gave Luna a piece of toast, "Try to hang on for a little longer. We're not at the worst of it yet."

"Blugh...I dread the day..." Luna muttered when Sam's little brother gave her a pack of juice, "Thanks, Simon..."

"Is something wrong?" Simon asked.

"Oh, you wouldn't understand," Luna brushed it off, "Just the same old high school drama."

"Hey, I was thinking," Sam sat down next to her, "All those songs we wrote, that you said you were gonna play in front of everyone?"

"Is now really the right time?" Luna asked, "You heard what everyone's saying about me. I don't want any of that to spill over to you."

"I know, but doing nothing is only gonna prove them right," Sam countered, "Why not play some of those songs in a rally?"

"And kill the steady vibe with a war cry?"

"We're already at rock bottom, so why not?"

Luna raised an eyebrow, "Whaddaya mean...we?"

"Samantha?" Suddenly, Mr Sharp stepped inside the kitchen, "Your mother needs your help."

"Again?..." Sam groaned, "C'mon, Sim. I think one of your shirts got pinked again."

"Hah?!" Simon ran out, "No! Leave that one alone!" Causing Sam to chase after him.

Luna laughed at their frantic state. Then, she looked at Sam's father, "That didn't really happen, did it?"

"No," the father sat next to Luna, "It was my pink shirt that got whited." He got a giggle out of her before he addressed her, "Luna, do you ever feel like you might have...overstayed your welcome a little bit?"

"I didn't have any choice," Luna responded, "Sam is the only person I can escape to. My family and other friends are too caught up in the drama to really focus anything anymore. I can't go one day without them complaining about secrets."

"I can understand... how do you see Sam, in that regard?"

"Huh?" Luna squinted, "Where'd that come from?"

"Sam's been acting a little bit gentler since you stuck that letter in her locker."

"What the-" Luna jolted, "The heck did she figure it out?!"

"It's been copied into one of your songs."

"Oh..." Luna was somewhat embarrassed, "I...inspired spurt?"

"Listen," the father said, "I don't mind you staying with us every once in a while, but sooner or later, this moping is gonna have to stop."

"Moping? That's what you're calling it?"

"What else would you call ten notebooks of lyrics sitting in the basement?"

Luna rubbed her forehead. She really did lose her edge thanks to this craziness. She didn't know what was keeping her back though, because she could get loud any time she wanted, parental advice notwithstanding. Then, the father tapped her shoulder.

"I'm just gonna tell you the same thing I told my kids," the father stared intently into Luna's eyes, "Keep it 100 at all times. No matter what. If you're gonna do something, do it all the way. If you're gonna get into a relationship with someone, you go in all the way. Got it?"

"Uh..." Luna got mixed signals from him, "What's the deal, dude?...Why are you telling me this..."

"Because this isn't like you at all. You are not the type to get hungover on one single thing. You're always the go-getter, no-nonsense type."

"Well...things happen, and you have to do a double take sometimes..."

"That's not good enough, Luna. You need to get your mind straight again. If you think too long, someone will have already taken advantage of you. I think you've had enough time to think about things. The time for thinking is over. It's time to act."

Luna understood his words, "Yeah...Ok... I guess I've been sitting on my own head for too long, huh?"

"Yes, you have. So, what's the first thing you're gonna do now?"

Luna smirked, "I just did it. I blinked." She got a small laugh from the father, "Ok, second thing I'm gonna do is play as many songs as I can. I would say "It's who I am" but...how many times have you heard that already?"

"A lot," the father said, "Anyway, do Whatever you have to do, but please limit your stay here in my house. You already have a family."

"Yeah, I know..." Luna was reluctant to return to her own after spending so many good days here, "I'll do my best..." Just the, she heard Sam and Simon walking away from the laundry room, "Oh boy...what to say..."

"Here," the father suddenly grabbed Luna's hand.

"Hey," Luna reacted, "What're you doing?"

"Sam tends to be aloof around people she really likes," the father winked, "I'm trying to change that."

"She...like-wuhhhh..." Luna blushed. To think that the father of the very person she had been desiring to spend quality with openly acknowledge mutual feelings between two women, she did not know how to react to it, given how he's typically questioning of Sam's habits. Maybe something has changed?

Well, she'd find out right now, because...Sam saw the handholding.

"Uh, Dad?..." Sam questioned, "What the heck are you doing?..."

"What's wrong with giving someone life advice?" Her father said.

"Is that what this is?..."

"Dad!" Simon called out, "Mom said your lucky dress shirt has been pinked!"

"WHAT?!" The father let go and ran to the laundry room, "Oh, no no no, I need that for a presentation tomorrow~"

Sam walked over to Luna, "Is everything ok? Did he do anything to you?"

"No," Luna answered, "He didn't say anything either."

"Well," Sam patted her shoulder, "I think it's time we fight back. Can't let those good words go to waste, right?"

"Yeah...Yeah, we got all the ammo we need right here," Luna grabbed her guitar, "C'mon, it's time to go to war."

Even if she wasn't there physically, Luna saw the final play of Lynn's game from a live stream. She knew that Lynn couldn't go on anymore, and that someone else had to step in and be the lightning rod. Luna was very hesitant, as she didn't want to walk into all the drama created by Hank and Hawk's siblings. But she couldn't stay away forever; if she doesn't charge into the fray, the fray will come to her.

"Hey, Sam?" Luna asked as she was tuning her guitar.

"Yo?"

"Am I flip-flopping all over the place?"

"Kinda," Sam admitted, "but it never mattered because you would always come around when it mattered."

"That's...a good thing, I guess..." Luna smirked, and made plans to fight back with the rest of the community.

Little did she know that the war she was about to enter would hide an unheard of secret.

One week after the game, Margo had to take over as the star athlete. She would always be planning ahead on plays, coordinating with her teammates, and giving her opponents a heck of a run for their pride. While her school has been a stomping ground for her reputation, she couldn't shake off a feeling of...inadequacy.

She used to be the star athlete of Royal Woods Middle, up until the middle 7th grade, when Lynn started to dominate. Ever since then, she has always had a hint of jealousy for her, always feeling like a shadow. She bore with it though, because Lynn was always ready to lend her a helping hand. But since the coming of the IS, everything changed. In between school and sports, she would always prepare herself to join the IS Academy in some capacity in order to get a leg up on Lynn, to feel like she had something that was hers.

Until Lincoln came along and stole her spotlight (completely on accident).

That was the moment she mentally walked out on her own friends. After school, Margo constantly looked for a way to get the leg up on the Louds, looking for a way to make Lynn feel the pain of having the one thing she's good at copied and pasted over onto someone else. A week before the volleyball finals, she stumbled upon a tall blonde woman, who would offer her a very special gift, in exchange for fulfilling one very specific deed: drive the Loud House away. Which...very oddly coincided with her own personal goals, to a degree. Margo wanted to take back the spotlight, not hurt anyone. But what did it matter when all she'd have to do was coerce a few choice individuals into making things hard for the Louds?

The plan was simple: get even closer to Lynn, close enough to get near the gossip groups around school, and therefore catch word of their juicy, salacious stories. Then, Margo would pass this information on to anyone who had a grudge against the Louds and get them to spark up rumors, although it wasn't that hard to do since that Louds were all the time...loud. She knew that they would fight back, so while the brother was away from home, she and her gang would whirl up a storm of words and gossip too much to handle. And she had some very convenient circumstances to draw upon.

Margo made it her mission to get the Louds away from Royal Woods, enlisting the help of Hank and Hawk to make things difficult for the Louds as much as possible. And it worked, to an extent. Lola and Lucy were out of character for most of the time, and everyone else was struggling to juggle with the constant circulation of vicious rumors. The only problem was Lynn, Luna, and Lori, as they were the least likely to go down fighting.

Which was why one day she made a special trip back to Hazeltucky. Back to her old clubhouse, where Janice and Juniper were hanging around the couch, and Hank and Hawk were out cold sleeping.

Janice and Juniper saw her, "Marge!" and they ran out to hug her.

Margo scruffled their hair, then walked over to a sleepy Hank and Hawk, "How are they?"

"Out of it," Juniper growled, "That woman you saw! She did something to them!"

"I know, but that woman is too powerful for us to handle," Margo said, "We got people who are tracking her down right now."

"Is she gonna pay for messing up our plans?" Janice punched her fists.

"Oh, I can assure you of that. It won't be now," Margo nodded, "It might not be for another few months, but she will pay."

"A few months?" Juniper repeated, "The heck are we supposed to do until then?"

"Get stronger," was all Margo said, "That's all we can do," before she scooted the two youngsters out, leaving her alone with Hank and Hawk. It was a good five minutes before the two thugs woke up.

"Ugh...my head..." Hawk groaned.

"Note to self..." Hank muttered, "White-haired people...freaks."

"Feeling ok?" Margo knelt beside them.

"No...this was the worst..." Hank complained, "We got kicked off the football team, and Hazeltucky lost volleyball and hockey."

"Hockey's part of the plan, Dude," Hawk corrected him.

"It's no big," Margo patted his shoulder, "You two did your best."

"Our best..." Hawk threw his hands, "But...but we couldn't win."

"But I didn't need you to," Margo said, "All I needed was for you to rough her up badly."

"I guess..." Hawk shrugged, "Still would've been nice if we actually won..."

"I guess you're right..." Margo responded, "but the plan is still on track. The Hockers are now way more agitated than ever. They're practically calling for blood now."

"So, What now?" Hank asked, "We gonna go after them?"

"No. Wait for them to leave Royal Woods," Margo said, "Thanksgiving is coming up. They'll definitely flee to one of their closest friends' houses."

"So, we're gonna hit them where it hurts?" Hawk asked.

"Oh, yeah," Margo grinned, "Get the dirt, coerce them, twist their words, whatever you gotta do."

"And we'll be there to help them," Juniper clenched his fist, "Those Louds are gonna regret the day they crossed us!"

"Relax," Janice poked his shoulder, "We'll get them either way."

"Settled," Margo said, "Everyone, We'll meet back here in one week to plan our final assault," She turned to Hank and Hawk, "That cool with you two?"

"Hell, yeah," Hawk punched his knuckles, "I'm in."

Strangely...Hank didn't say a word.

When everyone went on their merry way home, Janice and Juniper diverted their path to their local park, while Hank and Hawk were discussing the month ahead of them.

"I forget," Hank scratched his hair, "Why do we have to deal with the family pig sty?"

"Because their all pilots," Hawk said, "You saw how they got that hunk of metal to move, right?"

Hank thought back to hours before the big game. There was an IS demonstration going on at the local mall to showcase the evolving IS technology. The officials brought over a test model purely for showcase. And every single sister, including Lily, was able to move it to some capacity. No one saw, except for Hank and Hawk.

"Yeah? So what?" Hank questioned that event, "What's that got to do with taking them down? I thought we were supposed to just put them down a few pegs."

"Bro, imagine what they're gonna do if they all got to to that femme school," Hawk said, "The whole town's gonna rally behind them and boot us out."

"Ohhhhh...Wait," a very dark thought crossed Hank's mind, "So Lynn...planned that flag?"

"And we fell for it," Hawk hissed, "First, that whiny faggot shoots a few cards with that woman curse, and now the whole family's got the magic touch. Dude, we should rule Royal Woods and Hazeltucky by now. We did all the dirty work, and suddenly they got the spotlight. We ain't gonna use words anymore. It's time to stick and stone the Loud House."

Hank slowed his walk. This wasn't at all what he had in mind, "What about those Phantom Task people that Margo mentioned?"

"Bro, I don't care if Margo becomes a Rep whatever," Hawk waved, "Just as long as we get to bury the Louds," and shut the door to his house.

For once in his life, Hank wasn't entirely sure of this plan. All he wanted was to teach the Louds a lesson, not bury them. He's put people in the dumpster before, but not underneath the ground. He thought that this should be second nature to him

Someone willingly leaving their life on the clothing line without a second thought.

Where has he heard that before?...

_("O M GOSH! What happened?! No no no no no, Lincoln stay with me!")_

_("Speak to me, Lincoln! What happened?!")_

_("LORI! LUNA! WE'RE GONNA LOSE HIM! WHERE ARE MOM AND DAD?! SOMEONE HELP!")_

_("What did you do to them?!")_

That's right. The start of his second attempt at 7th grade. He saw right then and there the true brutality of bullying. And Hawk was right there beside the flagpole, getting firsthand experience of the thug life...and relishing it. Hawk cheered for more blood and more fists until the Louds showed up with the teachers. Hank was just...lost. He wasn't able to comprehend such a nasty level of violence in a middle school. He thought, what if that happened to him?

He ended up allying with Hawk, switching schools to Hazeltuckey, getting held back another grade, and toughening himself up so he could push back against any threat. But somewhere along the way, he completely forgot about why he toughened himself up and started getting roped into the bullying business, leading Hawk headfirst on his many exploits and brashes.

But whereas Hank had the good fortune of forgetting his reason for getting tough, Hawk didn't. Hawk never forgot. In fact, he relished in the fight. Since the two met, he wanted to fight against him, and then, he wanted to fight with him. He always looked for ways to dominate whoever he saw.

"Ugh, goddammit, why now?..." Hank was suddenly questioning everything he had ever done, "This is what I've always done, right?! This ain't nothing new!" Yes, this was something new, since their targets included a baby. "It's nothing special," he shook his head, "That devil woman got to your head...we're just expanding our territory, that's all." He assured himself that everything would be fine and went back home, "No more candy for us...I gotta think this over..."


	27. Finding Out their Minds

The morning after the hangout, Lincoln was sound asleep. Until he felt something odd, something warm. It was a nice feeling, but he knew it wouldn't be this cozy, especially when it was all over his body. He turned around and moved his hand. He felt his way around trying to discern his current location. It wasn't until his hand ran across a hill that he locked up.

"Nnnn...nnn?"

He froze on that hill. Then, it hit him where it actually was.

"AAAA!" Lincoln woke up and drew his everything back, "Dude, why did I-huh?" He checked the clock, "13:33 what?!" and saw they had slept straight into the afternoon. He relaxed when he felt a gentle breath brush his hair, "Ok...what exactly am I looking at-UY-" He was dragged back into the bedsheets by a pair of arms. His face hit something cushiony, "OOF! I swear, some higher force is trying to-WUBPUHP?!"

He had just been squeezed into Laura's chest. She had been cuddling him during her sleep, and was still sleepily cuddling him to her unawares.

"Oh, so we're going the rom-com anime route for today, huh?" Lincoln mumbled, then tried to pry himself out of Laura's iron claw body pillow hold, "Come...onnnnn...geeeeet...oooooooffffff-WA-HOYLE-urk-" Laura doubled down on her hug, causing his hands to latch on her...unbuttoned single piece of clothing... "...Uh...what exactly am I touching?..." *SQUEEZE*SQUEEZE* **_"YAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHAHAHAHAHAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!!!!!!!!!!"_**

Not even that obnoxious scream was enough to wake Laura up. When she finally did awaken, he had spent twenty minutes in the shower. She sat up in bed and rubbed her eyes, then looked out the glass door to the bright shining afternoon sun, another sight she never fully absorbed until yesterday. She was taking in every warm sensation she was feeling, not at all like her usual tense self. That's because she just woke up from a dream where she was the middle child of an unusually large family. It was a little bit comforting to know that such a possibility exists for her, but also unsettling that it was that same dream that drove Lincoln away from his home. She wanted to know what he felt when he was still at home, and where his strength came from.

Ten minutes later, Lincoln wearing his shower and stepped out wearing only a towel, "YEEE-puberty cooties... the worst kind of disease I could-" He walked into another awkward moment. He and Laura were inches apart. And he was the one blushing this time, "Uh...you slept well?..."

"Too well," she responded. Another minute of silence, then she said, "There's something I want to ask you."

Later, they were sitting outside in the local park. They had too much fun the other night that they ended up booking a hotel room. And now, there they were under a red shade tree, far removed from the speaking grounds of the IS Academy.

"Ahhhhhhh...this is what I need..." Lincoln stretched his body along the grass, "Just an entire day of nothing..."

"I wouldn't say nothing," Laura pointed to Strong Suit acting like a monkey swinging around everything that looked like a branch or a pole, overly energized by the brisk autumn cool.

"Oh my...what did I put into her stats..." Lincoln groaned.

Laura stared at Night Club and High Card interacting with the populace as if they were actual members of the community, "What allows them to freely move like this?"

"Heck if I know," Lincoln said, "The IS modeled itself around me. What that entails, I don't know."

"That reminds me," Laura asked him, "What makes you strong?"

"Hmm..." Lincoln knew he would be called out to address his sudden surge in power during the tournament, "To be honest, I don't know. I just did what came naturally to me, and I did it a hundred percent."

"What do you mean, naturally?"

"I mean, I just do whatever I feel like. If I wanna fix a mistake I made, it help someone fit in, I'll do it right away."

"Where do you get that instant motivation from?"

"From..." Lincoln felt a slight tinge of regret, "Hhh...from my sisters. They raised me to be a supportive brother...I don't think they knew what they would've gotten me into when they taught me all that stuff."

"Do you feel like you would be better off without that?"

"Not really. It helped me through the squirrel boy...and the private campaign adventure mishap...It's a cursed blessing. It's useful in real life, except you hate it."

"I see," Laura understood that line, coming from a troubled upbringing herself, "Then again, your gift got you to drag me all the way out here."

"Oh?..." Lincoln was puzzled.

"I was briefed on your exploits prior to accepting you as my partner," Laura explained, "You led two successful rescue missions. In addition to three exhibition matches against a former RC and two current RCs."

"Don't that mean something."

Laura then joked, "All losses."

"The hell?"

"Your brains cannot compensate for your lack of brawns."

"And those two compose your heart. You are frightening."

"As is your hideous flock of hair."

"What's that dagger sticking outta your head?"

Strong Suit managed to climb to the top of a telephone pole and assume the without using her hands and assume the one-legged lookout pose. "I sense great disturbances in the wind," she spoke in an false old woman voice, when she saw two small groups of IS students standing on opposite sides of the park, faces contorted into the aghast face emoji. "Heh...hihihihiiiii..." she chuckled, "High, Night, 2 and 10 o'clock positions."

"What's is-" High Card and Night Club turned to the park entrances, "Ohhhhhhh... *SNICKERRRRRR*"

Ichika, Houki, Charles, Rin, and Cecilia were completely speckledorked. They were currently seeing Laura Bodewig...the woman who tried to slap Ichika, who successfully slapped Lincoln, who swore vengeance against the world's first male pilot for something out of his control, and who looked down on those who did not embody the very essence of strength...shooting a breeze with the world's youngest pilot, with zero tension whatsoever.

At one end, Cecilia, Rin, and Charles.

"Oh... my head..." Cecilia wobbled.

"What alternate dimension did we just step in..." Rin whispered.

"No, this is real," Charles had expected this.

"Are you referring to Lincoln and Laura, or Ichika and Houki?..." Cecilia asked.

"Probably both," Charles looked over to the opposite side of the path, viewing two different reactions.

Ichika looked on with a sense of satisfaction, as not only did he witness Lincoln make an ally out of an enemy, but now Ichika himself has one less problem to worry about, though the same can't be said about the potential love triangle.

But Houki...

_("Aunt, who was that? Those two that just stopped by the dojo?")_

_("Oh, a young friendly couple. I think they were Lincoln Loud and Laura Bodewig.")_

_("WHAT?! WHY WERE THEY HERE?! WHY DIDN'T YOU KICK THEM OUT?!")_

_("I didn't see a reason to. That Laura girl looked very interested in tea. She seemed much more demure than you, That's for sure.")_

_("How can you say that about me?! I'm your niece!")_

_("And as my niece, how may emotions did you keep botttled up inside you?")_

...Houki was flatlined beyond belief. Not so much at how a battle-hardened soldier underwent a massive transformation in one day, but very much at the fact that she underwent that transformation at her aunt's dojo.

"Ichika...help me..." Houki whispered.

Ichika grabbed her hand, "Stay close to me," and led her towards the tree.

Charles saw Ichika move towards Lincoln and grabbed Rin and Cecilia's hands, "I'm sorry, but we really must be going."

"Towards them?!" Rin yelped.

"I don't think we can-YOW!" Cecilia nearly lost her crud when she saw Laura's head hit that sweet spot on Lincoln's neck, "This calls for immediate attention." And she ended up leading Rin and Charles to the tree.

The two groups slowly converged on the target area, halting only when they saw the two white-haired pilots throw a brief laughing fit. When the two calmed down, the rest of the group walked briskly and joined them at the tree.

When Lincoln looked over Laura's head, he saw Ichika and Charles sitting down next to them, "Oh, I was wondering when you'd come around."

"You've been gone for a day and a half," Charles said, "Of course, we'd be concerned."

"Concerned..." Lincoln hovered his eyes over Rin, Cecilia, and Houki, "Is that really the right word for it?..."

An hour later, the group of seven were back on school grounds having an evening picnic. To the students' absolute bewilderment, there was no screaming of furious anger, just seven friends who seemingly formed their own clique.

"I can't believe how you managed to tame her..." Cecilia muttered, "How on earth did you control that hot-blooded Germ?..."

"Simple answer: I had to get on her level," Lincoln said while munching a slightly improve Alcott crumpet special, "Complicated answer: I had to jump 400 stories just to get on her level."

"Uh-uh..." Rin retched, "It's a step up, but there's too much mayo..."

"Really?" Charles said, "I think it's rather light on the mayo," and ate his(her) sandwich in a suggestive manner that made Lincoln blush and Rin puke.

"And he's still not there yet," Laura joked.

"Oh, what's it going to take to get on your good side?" Cecilia griped.

"Perhaps if you were born in a test tube for the sole purpose of combat, then you'd earn some of my respect," Laura downed two sandwiches with no GI reaction.

Ichika couldn't take his eyes off the crumbs that dropped on the grass in front of her, "Uh...do you know who made those things?..."

"I've had worse," Laura bluntly said, to Cecilia's chagrin and Rin's brief moment of delight.

"Hahahaaa! Burn!" Rin threw her hand up, "High-five!"

"Huh?" Laura has never heard of that before, "What does that even mean?"

"Seriously?..." Rin snarked, "You've never heard of a high-five before?..."

Laura gave her the "What do you think?" look.

Charles tapped her shoulder, "Laura?"

"What?" Laura said before Charles cupped her fingers through his, "WHAT?!" He guided her hand toward Rin's. Then, he released his grip, allowing her palm to smack Rin's palm. "Uhhhh...what did you make me do?..."

"A high-five," Charles said, "People do it as a friendly greeting or a celebration."

"Oh...Is that all?..."

Lincoln settled in with Ichika and watched the scene unfold beautifully, as Rin and Charles were helping Laura understand the concept of the high-five.

"What am I watching?..." Houki was still as mortified as ever.

"A miracle," Lincoln laughed, "You're watching a miracle."

"But...Laura...I saw her-"

"I know it's hard to accept," Ichika said, "but people can change. Even the most unreasonable human beings in the world could undergo some sort of change into decency, given time."

"But...Laura's from-"

"I know," Lincoln said, "and I didn't care. I just showed her a good friend. I never stopped reaching out to her."

Houki sulked. Once again, she felt like she missed out on a crucial part of life. But this was especially bad because yesterday, she could've had the best date ever with Ichika. If only she had just reacted to his denseness by explaining some things that happened to them, or just saying she didn't know, like a normal person. Instead, she either brushed off his questions or gave him the cold shoulder, unlike Lincoln who took pleasure in explaining as much as he could to Laura yesterday. She probably would've been better off exploring things with Ichika.

"Oh, fine..." Houki pouted, "I guess I could try to rarefy his mind a little bit..." she looked at Ichika, "...just a little."

Ichika grinned, "Hey, what was that Cecilia said about speaking your mind?"

"Ichika!" Houki repeatedly tried to smack him, "HOW COULD YOU?!" But his hands kept getting in the way.

"I'm just saying! Without an explanation, I had to figure some stuff out on my own!"

Houki stopped, "You got it all wrong!"

"Can you tell me what it means?"

"How should I know?!"

"Exactly!~~~"

Lincoln just say back and sighed for everyone else who saw the spectacle from ten feet away. Seeing the interaction of his friends was very gratifying, and somewhat painful. He was reminded of the good times he had with his sisters, as well as the moments he missed out on since his separation. "That's the breaks," he leaned back, "That's what's up in the Mirror-" PLOP "-Dimenshoot..." and hit something soft and silky, "I thought I was a pilot..."

"And I thought you were 12 years old," Cecilia grinned after catching Lincoln's head on her thighs.

"So did everyone else..." Lincoln rubbed his eyes, and saw Ichika and the others join together to cause a bigger ruckus, "Is any of this bizarre to you?"

"Quite," Cecilia nodded, "I'm still not over how Miss Laura is able to control her actions."

"I am. I saw how she was at last night's tea ceremony. She didn't move her legs at all."

"Huh..." Cecilia softened her mental grip. Someone with a higher mental fortitude than her being humbled into a tea ceremony was unheard of for her. She wanted to know how he got the patience to bring Laura down to their level, "How on earth did she learn how to interact with other humans?"

"Let's not overthink it," Lincoln urged Cecilia to enjoy the moment.

And they did enjoy it, but not in the traditional sense. Cecilia was enjoying it because she never experienced anywhere near this level of friendly bickering before she came to Japan. Lincoln was enjoying it because he had this experience many times, before it was effectively rendered fake and pointless by his own family. She held him in his lap and stroked his hair, and he seemed to welcome her hand, as they sat on the sidelines, watched the rest of the group party in the grass, and savored the sweet sensation of disconnect.

Meanwhile, back at the Loud House, everyone was doing their best to turn the tide of the war. Lynn Sr and Rita had to defend their children against the constant rumors and viscous stories, a job made easier by Lynn's sacrificial play and Luna's vocal sound-offs. Lucy, Lola, and Lana have assisted in the efforts by amplifying their most well known traits; Lucy varied the mood of her poems and read them aloud every waking moment, Lana offered free repairs and "rasslin'" lessons to anyone who was interested, and Lola spent (slightly) less time on makeup and (way) more time on "motivational" speeches. Lori, Luan, and Leni were on the lookout for any nasty rumors, sparing no effort to shut down and even embarrass those who were conspiring against them, unwittingly dividing the school population into factions. Luna and Sam were busy calling up rallies throughout the town in support of Royal Woods, and in no time, they had a majority of the community joining them in the final sports games of the fall semester.

By the last week of October, the war had come in a stalemate, with an equal number of victories in sports and academic events.

High school had the most eclectic crowd.

"Watch your step, Luan," Lori said, "Plenty of trips you could take right here."

"I see them," Luan slid down the staircase rail and jumped through the exit, "Oof!"

"Hey!" Leni yelped, "Watch where you land!"

"Heheh, I don't have a punchline," Luan scratched her head, "I just wanted to do that."

"Why don't you flip on your buck teeth, donkey girl?" A nearby student taunted.

"At least her tail can whip your ugly mug into something recognizable," another student countered.

"What did you say?!"

"Are you deaf? Back off!"

"Ok, gotta go," Luan escaped the ensuing verbal battle.

On the opposite end of the school, Luna and Sam were hit with two sides of the same coin.

"Hey, Sam! Does your brother know how many boys you've haggled?"

"You gotta come play at my school!"

"Keep your cooties away from me, you rotten slag."

"How about you start cracking their minds open about sexuality, Luna?"

On and on. And the usual response from Luna and Sam was, "Thanks for giving me some lyrics to work with! Oh yeah, you will definitely hear them on the radio in a couple days." refusing to give a rat's foot.

Middle school was faring somewhat better, with Margo taking over for Lynn, and the students being forced to restrain their disdain due to the current status of Lynn and Lincoln.

Elementary school students were still as jubilant and hopeful as ever, showing support for the Louds everywhere they went, no matter how crazy it drove their parents (Some of them only did it to drive their parents crazy).

On the last Friday of the month, when everyone went home, the Louds were greeted by Lynn and Clyde. They were then whisked away into a sibling meeting. But Lynn chose to change course and rest in Lincoln's room again.

"Ok, we know why we're here, and why things are what they are," Lori declared, "We need to make sure everyone is free for Thanksgiving. Clyde, how goes the super secret project?"

"Project Red Camellia, or as Tabane so eloquently hammered in my head, Project Akatsubaki..." Clyde said, "required more daily hours than Lisa anticipated. Though it is thanks to this that the project is ahead of schedule. She will be free for the Thanksgiving weekend."

"Wow," Leni said, "When'd you learn to speak scientist?"

"I didn't," Clyde held up a letter, "Lisa gave this to me."

"Uh, sure," Lori shook her head, "Lucy, how are things on the elementary front?"

"Sigh," Lucy stood up, "About as cheery and overly gleeful as I expected. Nothing to report."

"Dude, that's a good thing," Lana reminded.

"It is..." Lucy tapped her chin, "...when Lola started yelling at them."

Lori and Lana twitched.

Lola just leaned against a pillow, "Hey, I've been stuck with the commoners for a few months now. Might as well use my talents for something productive."

"Point being," Lucy brought the conversation back on topic, "We don't have anything to worry about."

"O...k..." Lori shook her head, "Clyde...again...what news from the middle school?"

"The mood has been dampened badly," Clyde said, "Lynn is still out, and Margo's doing her best, but aside from volleyball and football, we couldn't secure any major victories. But since they know who we're related to, they won't bother us."

"That's better than what we're dealing with," Luna said, "High school's toxic, something about having more four-eyed brainiacs than-" deep brood voice "-TESTOSTERONE FILLED MAN DONG-" normal voice "- or whatever."

"The dongs are so lacking," Leni chimed in, "There's virtually no ding for any of our sports players or their fans."

Luna and Luan struggled to contain their laughter because Leni had no idea what Luna really meant.

But Lori sure did, and she wasn't amused, "Ok, that's literally the tenth man joke today! Can we please move away from this stupid game?!"

"Come on, sis!" Luan was happy to throw in a bad pun, "Can't we all get a**sch**long?" She and Luna lost it until Lori pushed them out of her room, "Whoa! Hey! I was only a _ding dong mcdork _about it!"

"Yes, you were," Lori locked the door and went back to her lectern, "And that little display of horribly timed jokes is exactly why I need you guys to help with the high school front. Morale is bad because we've conceded more battles to Hazeltuckey than any other school. We all have to go to the school rallies and chant as loud as we possibly can."

"Uh, this is _your _school," Lola said, "Why do we have to lollygag around your school?"

"Because then I won't be free for Thanksgiving!" Lori started to tear up, "And Luna'll be stuck with the poisonous air, and Leni and Luan will be clueless at home! And...and...and..." burst into tears "... AND THEN I WON'T BE ABLE TO SEE BOBBY-PINS ANYMOOORRRRRREHAHAHAHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA~~~" slumped over the lectern.

"Uh, What was that?" Lola caught onto the last bit, "Wait a minute...this is all a ploy just so you can see your precious Bobby Boo-boo Bear again, ISN'T IT?!"

"Uh-nooo," Lisa corrected her, "This was a ploy to get us out of Royal Woods for the Thanksgiving break."

The girls went "Wuhhhh?..."

Lori wiped her eyes and resumed her tirade, "Don't you WUHHHH me! We've been trying to get out of this blasted town for a month, or have you forgotten!"

"Ehhhh, nah," Lola feigned ignorance, "I'm still gonna say you're doing it for Bobby." Finger Pointing "COW!"

"Lola, you're a forgetful one," Lana put her finger down, "Did you forget how Winston wanted you to tone it down?"

"HE'S DIFFERENT!" Lola screamed.

Luna and Luan listened in the meeting through the door crack at the floor.

"Wow," Luna whispered, "This is hanging over us like a bad boyfriend or something."

"I can't tell where this argument's going," Luan scratched her head, "It's hard to come up with a good pun when the flow's as steady as a cactus bone field."

"Oh, that's not a good..." Luna walked towards Lincoln's room, "Better get Lynn out to-"

"Ooh, Yeah!" Luan beat her to the door, "She'll know how to keep them from roughin' it!" But the instant she knocked twice on the door, it fell over. "EEP!" Luan jumper on Luna's back and peeled over her shoulder, "Is it always this scary?!"

"We're in a war," Luna groaned, "Everything's scary..." Then, she peeled inside the linen closet, "Uaa!" and saw something that was truly frightening.

Lynn lying on the bed with a cellphone on speaker, "What'd Tabane say about my body?"

"Those doctors who treated you put in a painkiller that interferes with the body's muscular reconstruction," Lisa said over the phone, "They're not allowing the body to heal itself naturally, nor are they allowing any outside assistance from blood cells, pericytes, and especially those bionanos."

"That explains it," Lynn said in an oddly somber tone, "Everything the doctors tried isn't enough to get my body back at all."

"I know, and I've also visited them," Lisa responded, "They said that whatever those thugs did to throw you was the first nerve to go, and that collision did major damage to your muscular neurons."

"What does that mean?"

"It means...your next game might be your last. Flex your muscles one more time, and you might tear them."

Lynn wondered why she was still feeling her muscles aching all over, "What happened to those painkillers doctor guys?"

"Miss Shinonono is already working on it. As soon as she's finished with the-" annoyingly ear-grating falsetto "-AKATSUBAAAKI! AKATSUBAAAKI!-" normal voice "-she will storm the hospital. I can't tell if she is an autistic, a womanchild, or an adult who's trying to compensate for a traumatic childhood."

"What?..."

"Nothing of anyone's consequence..." Lisa groaned when she heard the sound of heavy clanking, "I'd better go help Chloe control her before she has another giddy tantrum..." and hung up.

"Tch...some days I just wanna-" Lynn threw the phone "-DROP DEAD!" and it broke the mirror. She then stuffed a pillow onto her face and screamed until she was tired enough to roll away from the door. She gave it three seconds before addressing Luna and Luan, "...what do you want?..."

"Uh...hi, there..." Luan said before nudging Luna forward.

"We, uh..." Luna eased her way onto the bed, "We just wanted to check in on you..."

"Oh..." Lynn muttered while keeping her front away from them, "I thought I could do something for this blasted war. I did, but...you guys heard the rest."

Luna and Luan looked at each other, and then connected the dots to a video chat they had the day before Lincoln's big mental reveal...

_("Lynn's been acting strange, bro. You know what she's getting high on?")_

_("No idea. She said something strange in a private chat.")_

_("Hope it wasn't too _dialed _down, hahaha! But seriously, what did she say?")_

_("She said...she said she's not gonna stop apologizing.")_

_("Huh? The heck does that mean?")_

_("Dunno.")_

_("Eugh...hope she doesn't turn into Lucy...")_

Well, it happened. Lynn's still hung up on the beach incident. If she and Lola hadn't done that, that photo would've never happened, the family wouldn't have had to stretch themselves thin, and Lincoln would probably still be here.

At least, Luna figured that part out. She could feel her Lynn's pain because, out of all the people she's spent time with, the most time went to Lincoln and Lynn, "It's because of Lincoln, isn't it?"

"No," Lynn said, "It's because of what I did to him. I almost killed him. I made him go in that stupid costume at the beach..."

"I know," Luna put Luan on the bed and sat on the dresser, "We all did. But that doesn't mean you need to drag it all down for this long."

"Question..." Luan seemed puzzled by what Luna said, "Whaddaya mean by 'this long'?"

"Exactly what it sounds like," Luna said.

Luan was stumped, not because she didn't know what they were saying, but because she did. She was genuinely confused; she didn't know how her most active sister could have this long a depression state, "Uh, I thought we were over it?"

"It ain't that easy," Luna said, "If no one would ever talk about it, then it'd be easier, but..."

"He's everywhere," Lynn muttered, "I can't get away from him."

"I don't get it," Luan said, "It isn't like you to get this hung up. If it's easy to ignore it..."

"It's not," Luna said, "It's all in her head... and everywhere else, if you know what I mean..."

"Uh...Yeah..." Luan cringed, "Unfortunately, I do..."

"Guys...I appreciate the company," Lynn said, "but...what's the point of you being here?"

"Oh-Uh...we, uh..." Luna forgot the point too, "Just...we're having a sibling meeting right now, and-"

"You want me to get outta Royal Woods for the holiday," Lynn finished the sentence, "Nah. I'll stay and hold down the fort."

"But... but it's Thanksgiving," Luan was very very confused, "Why'd you wanna stay here in all the chaos and drama?"

"Because we're going to Great Lakes City. Lori's orders," Lynn grumbled, "Not going, thanks, and pulled a quilt over her head.

"Huh?" Luan jumped off the bed, "What just happened?"

"Come on. We better tell Lori," Luna eased her out, "We'll get her on board somehow."

Lynn was relieved when they closed the door. When they were back in Lori's room, Lynn walked outside and into the stars.

Lynn's legs and back were still in pain, but nowhere near the degree as the game. The brisk autumn breeze provides a good massage for the rest of her body and mind.

"Awwwwwww...wow, I needed some cryotherapy for a long time..." she stretched her body and welcomed the new nighttime experience.

She never got the chance to stroll around her neighborhood before, so she took in every sight she saw. It was refreshing getting away from the daily hectics of the family dynamic...refreshing, and scary. She wasn't used to just having the sound of nature as her background music, or her own jumbled thoughts as her only companions. Her concern only compounded when she thought back to Lincoln's discovery of the hit on 6th grade:

_("Luan?! I'm in the middle of practice! What the heck are you-")_

_("LENI! CLYDE! HE KNOWS! HE KNOWS EVERYTHING!")_

_("He knows what?")_

_("HE KNOWS ABOUT THE FIRST DAY OF SIXTH GRADE!")_

That got her badly. And Ronnie Anne's latest email confirmed the worst possible outcome:

**So, Lincoln got back to me, and he just straight up told me that he's not coming back for the holidays. On account of taking a hit for you? Seriously, Lynn, you need to come down here for Thanksgiving. **

**-RA**

**If you know what's good for you, you will get out of Royal Woods by the 22nd.**

**-AAdsz**

Not helping was the weekly PTA meeting, which just so happened to be this night. Most of the parents were doing everything that they could to try control the fervor in the school district, but some parents insisted on carrying on the feud, under the guise of delivering immediate justice. They sent the town's school community into a frenzy, bringing even more attention and hype to the ongoing war.

"Oh my lanta..." Lynn sighed, "What's it gonna take to get things back to normal..." She was halted by a bright reflection of a bright light, "Agh! Ok, very funny, Cici! But your eyes could-Whoa..."

It wasn't a flashlight. It was a spotlight. One of many that surrounded a still default IS, the same one her sisters coaxed her into moving before the big game. The same IS she unwittingly manipulated into doing the splits on its head. And it's back on its podium, getting felt up by eager girls wanting to follow in the hero's footsteps.

"No...Not now..." she walked away from it. She didn't want to associate herself with something that was clearly had her brother's fingerprints. She was too ashamed of what she did, and what it started, to go near the metal thing. She started her walk back home, but she couldn't resist the urge to talk to something.

And Lisa did say that the IS felt like a living person.

Lynn had to stop and say hi. She turned around and looked at the grayed machine, "Uh...hi. It's me again..." She felt awkward, but she carried on, "I didn't mean to break your groin, so..."

The machine blinked its wing units.

"I figured you wouldn't mind," Lynn continued, "but I did. Sort of. I just...I don't know. Maybe I thought it was like any other thing where it wouldn't be such a bad problem, but it is. Mom and Dad are spending way less time with us now. My sisters are spending way more time away from home and putting on a front. And...I've been sidelined..." She bit her lip to prevent herself from quivering, but when she opened her mouth again, "...it's not pleasant..." she yielded to her emotions, "...actually, it freaking SUCKS! IT SUCKS! I LITERALLY CANNOT DO ANYTHING! I GOT MY TORN FIBERS LOUNGING AROUND IN BED WHILE EVERYONE ELSE IS DOING ALL THE HARD WORK! CLYDE JUAT BECAME MY MULE-I KNOW HE WANTED TO HELP ME COPE WITH MY INJURIES, BUT I'M SORRY-HE'S A MULE AND I HATE IT! I HAVE TO DEPEND ON HIM FOR EVERYTHING!" And she broke down, "That makes two ass pull debts, now...three including Margo...They're out there doing the good work, and I've been stuck here in limbo...I throw my back out for the team, and this is the thanks I get...God, I never felt so worthless in my life..."

The IS flapped its wing units.

"How would I know?..." Lynn whimpered, "I don't know the first thing about giving nothing...What more can I give?..." She then saw the IS faintly glow its chest armor and quickly revert back to the gray palette. She realized that she did have something she could use to power through her struggle. And even she was worried about what that would entail, "Oh, no...no no no no, I can't do that...that would mean..."

The IS suggested that Lynn support her siblings from behind the scenes, without going into the frontlines. It would require that she stay off sports until the war was over. The wait to play again would potentially be until Lincoln completes year one, maybe longer. Either way, she'll need to lay low.

Translation: she's done all she needed to do on the field.

"Geez..." Lynn muttered, "Is this what everyone else had to go through?..."

Not everyone. Just the one person she forced into the limelight.

"Ok... I get it..." Lynn nodded, "I'll lay off..." she turned back toward the house, "I don't know if I can make it up to them, but...I'll try..." She waved at the IS and walked off. She didn't see the IS wave a wing back to her.

On her way home, Lynn was steadying her heart for the semesters ahead of her. She knew how Clyde and Lisa supported her during the heyday of the sports battles. She may be bend her back a little less, and she may not be seen as much...at all, but at least she will still be active in the war effort. At least she won't be a limp noodle in a house of active sisters and parents, and hey, there might be a chance to catch up with Margo and show her appreciation for their friendship.

Of course, there's the matter of having to face Ronnie Anne in a tense explanation for the sudden flashes. On the bright side...if she does tear a deltoid and loses mobility in her shoulder, it's a viable excuse for her to stay home.

On the other hand, Lincoln was slowly making Japan his second home. The morning before class, he was sitting alone in the cafeteria reflecting on everything that happened to him the last few days, and there was a lot. He brutalized his improved combat skills in front of world leaders, befriended a demon to an orange paladin a pink assassin, and apparently caused a change in IS policy. He did more to a school than all ten sisters combined.

"Is this how they felt whenever somebody does something?..." he rubbed his eyes.

Just then, he was joined by Charlotte in her regular identity, "Pleasure meeting your acquaintance, Monsieur Loud."

"Nice to meet yowatthewut?"

And Kim, "Pleasure meeting your acquaintance as well."

Lincoln swerved his head back and forth to make sure he wasn't in an alternate mirror dimension. Once he confirmed the presence of female Charles, he asked, "What's the occasion?"

"Well, I spoke with Ichika and Kim," Charlotte said, "and we've come to the conclusion that it would be unwise for me to conceal my own identity any further."

"Really?" Lincoln questioned, "This doesn't have anything to do with identity politics, does it?"

"No, nothing like that," Kim said, "It's only a first step, given how IS Academy prevents outside interference from anyone in regard to any student currently enrolled here."

"Oh," Lincoln recalled the story Charlotte and Ichika told him, "So her father can't do anything about it?"

"Not unless he wants to go down with me," Charles said with a hint of sadness, "I know everything that he's ever said, done, and planned to do. I'm sure the teachers will question me before I complete my education."

"So, are you gonna tell them everything?" Lincoln asked.

"Yeah," Charles said, "But I hold all the cards in my hand. I don't think my he would appreciate that."

"What father would turn his back on a child that's taking advantage of him?" Kim smirked, and waited...and waited, "Something wrong, Lincoln?"

_("CONTRARY TO POPULAR BELIEF, I AM NOT BAD LUCK. I JUST LET YOU GUYS BELIEVE THAT SO I COULD GET OUT OF GOING TO YOUR STUFF. IT WAS A REALLY SELFISH THING TO DO. WE ALL NEED TO SUPPORT EACH OTHER. I'M REALLY SORRY.")_

"Huh? Oh..." Lincoln was suddenly reminded of that...latest time he took advantage of his family, "I...I'm worried that she'll turn out like me."

"It's ok, Lincoln," Charlotte caught, "I've learned from my papa and mama about power. Asserting yourself the right way, for instance."

"Well...I can see you've thought it through," Lincoln commented.

"How'd you like that?" Kim nudged him, "What quote about connections would you like me to recite now, hmm? Hmm? Hmm?"

"Don't start with me..."

Lincoln and Charlotte walked towards the classroom discussing the circumstances that led to her reveal as a woman, when they were stopped by the sight of Ichika, Maya, and "Dear god, why the elder..."

"Orimura told me about your true identity," Chifuyu said, "Is it true you purposely concealed yourself?"

Charlotte stepped in front of Lincoln, preparing her heart to take a brutal beating, "Yes it is, ma'am. I'm prepared to accept my punishment."

Chifuyu turned her eyes to Ichika and Lincoln, who were silently begging her to go easy on Charlotte. "Well, normally, it would call for immediate action," she said, "but dressing up as a man would mean that there's a bigger force at play."

"Miss Orimura?"

Chifuyu laid down her plan, "Dunois, after school today, you will report to the teachers lounge, where you will explain in full detail who put you up to this charade, and the reasoning behind your transfer to the Academy."

"Um..." Charlotte turned to Ichika.

"It's ok," he said, "I just saw you turn into a girl. That's all."

Charlotte brightened up a little. She was surprised that Ichika didn't spill the beans about her father or the Dunois Corporation's permit, but very thankful he gave her the chance to tell that story with her own words, "Understood."

"Good," Chifuyu nodded, "Miss Yamada?"

"Um...Miss Dunois, please wait outside..." Maya was beet red all over, "Orimura, Loud, Class is about to begin...so..."

Lincoln didn't get why Maya was blushing, "Uh, can't keep them waiting, I guess..."

"Yeah," Ichika walked them inside the classroom. It was the same old chatty hub area for all things talk and gossip, with one minor difference, "Well, no one's pestering me to eat lunch with them, at least."

"Pester?" Lincoln looked up, "Ok, now you sound old."

"I feel old," Ichika joked, "You should've seen what Houki and I got up to. I tried to get her to the mall, but she ended up running me around town." Then he saw Cecilia and Houki came around their desks, "Morning, guys."

"Fine morning to you two as well," Cecilia greeted, "So, Miss Houki and I were wondering if you two would like to join us in the courtyard for lunch this afternoon."

"The courtyard?" Lincoln repeated, "Isn't it supposed to be a cold one today?"

"Not if you've bundled up underneath," Cecilia winked, to which Lincoln averted his eyes.

"And..." Houki added, "...maybe...we could bring Charles into our group as well."

Ichika his his shaky fists, "Uh, sure, but what's the occasion?"

"We've all had something happen to us in the past that sort of...disconnected us from humanity," Cecilia explained, "I thought we could take this opportunity to do a little family bonding, if that makes sense."

"It doesn't," Houki interrupted.

"Well, it's not literal."

"How would you know what bonding looks like?"

"You've seen it on your supposed date, and failed to capitalize on your only chance."

Lincoln and Ichika saw the change they were effecting right in front of their eyes. Because of their (little bit of) mindfulness of their surroundings, they were able to control the crowd and save themselves for a semester's worth of emotional shoving. The girls weren't freaking out over every little thing they did.

And Lincoln couldn't be any happier, "We'd like to meet your requests."

"Oh, joy!" Cecilia cheer- "I mean, uh...so. Today at high noon it is."

"It's my turn to make lunch," Houki said, "You won't wanna miss it." The two girls then led themselves to their seats.

"Wow...I can't believe it," Lincoln marveled, "I wonder how everyone back home is gonna feel...I've got a new family, it seems like."

"Why don't you try focusing on the two of us for now?" Ichika panicked.

Lincoln didn't know why Ichika was so worried, "What's twisted your jumpsuit in aaaaaaaoooooohhhh crud..." until he saw Maya up front, nervously addressing the class with her shifting eyes and an uneasy smile.

"N-nn-nn..." Maya struggled to get the words out of her mouth, "I'd like to introduce you to a new transfer student today..."

On cue, the door swerved open, and the new transfer student stepped in. The classmates were struck with a different sense of deja vu, as if this student looked eerily similar.

And the student confirmed their suspicions, "Hello. I am Charlotte Dunois, and it is very nice to be meeting you once again."

Amidst the gasping for explanations, Maya simply offered, "Uh...yes, it seems "Mister" Dunois...turned out to be a "Miss"...we were kinda shocked too."

Ichika was preparing himself for the inevitable reactions.

But Lincoln realized what he had done to Cecilia and Houki, "...barnacles..."

And cue the reactions:

"You mean Dunois was a girl all along?"

"I knew there was something fishy about it. He wasn't a beautiful boy, but a beautiful girl!"

"Wait! Orimura's been sharing the same room without knowing anything about it!"

"Wait a second!"

"Then, that means-"

"Didn't they open the boys' bathhouse last weekend?!"

-BOOM!-

Rin suddenly tore down the door. Fully deployed. And very...very angry. The classroom was chaotic once again.

"ICHIKAAAAAAA!" Rin charged her Ryuhou and took aim.

Ichika was stuck like a deer in the headlights, "NO FOR THE LIVE OF GOD DON'T SHOOT!"

Rin shot.

Thankfully, Lincoln was able to get his wing shield in front of Ichika just before impact. Double thankfully, someone else took the brunt of the attack. That didn't mean they weren't shook.

"Are we dead?..." Lincoln whispered.

"No...I don't think so..." Ichika responded.

Lincoln peeked over the shield, "...LAUWHAT?!"

It was Laura. Laura's AIC protected them from Rin.

"Uh...thanks..." Lincoln said.

Laura seemingly ignored him and went back to her desk, "Everyone resume class. We have a test in one week, yes?"

While everyone was still processing the brief scuffle, Rin got ahead of herself, "JUST YOU WAIT, ICHIKA! I'L MAKE YOU PAY FOR THIS-"

"Huang Lingyin."

"UEbuu..." Rin froze at the sound of Chifuyu's voice. Everyone else huddled behind Lincoln's shield and Laura's AIC.

"Did you just cause property damage in an aggravated attempt to assault a fellow student?" Chifuyu demanded a direct answer.

Rin rattled her brain for an excuse, "Well-I was just-a girl for him would be-I thought that he...would...try..." That stuttering would be the final straw, as Chifuyu forced the Shenlong into standby mode and delivered swift justice right then and there.

Everyone winced.

But Lincoln was gone, "**DID WE LEARN NOTHING, PEOPLE?!**"


	28. Crossing the Thin Red Line

**Lincoln, I know it's been awhile, but you'll be happy to know that everyone has decided to leave Royal Woods for the Thanksgiving to free their minds of this useless baggage brought on by the war. We're staying with the Casagrandes for a few days in order to make amends with Ronnie Anne...at least, that's what most of us would do. Lynn is unable to detach herself from the events that triggered this war. I believe it would be wise to update her on anything extraordinary to relieve her of her pain.**

**-Lancy Lisa**

**Son, I don't want to bog you down more than we already have, but there's a reason we kept that secret from you. And that reason just played out in front of our eyes. We knew you would look back on that time you took a hit and think to yourself, "why did I ever do that?" Given everything that's happened since then, we feared you would leave us, and...well, the rest can speak for itself. Not to mention that those people that hurt you will try to get revenge. I've already said too much. I'll fill you in on the rest as the month goes on.**

**-Papa Lynn**

**Hey, Linc. Hope you're having a fabulous time in Japan. I know I'd be stoked if I got the chance to see what the IS academic _IS_ all about, hahaha! That was lame. But everyone else laughed, which is what I needed, because holy hackle-tech-ery the mood is HORRID! Lucy's practically relishing in the downplayed moods. I hope you'll be able to visit us soon; I could really use the mood swings.**

**-Le Joker **

**I hope you appreciate the sacrifices I make for you. Because of your stupid war, I got investigated. And as a result, I AM SUSPENDED FROM ANY ROYAL WOODS PAGEANTS UNTIL NEXT YEAR! I had to beg my beloved Winston to escort my poor legs to his kingdom just to boast my power and fix YOUR mess!**

**Ok, maybe I can be a little bit narcissistic. Just a little...**

**-Lols**

**Hey, bro. I bet you didn't think I'd give my body to get the W, did you? Welp, it happened. The same jerk who broke my ankle a few months ago? He broke the rest of the merchandise. And he ended up getting suspended, him and his meat head compadre. I've been stuck at home, doing nothing since then. It's the worst; I can't do anything, I've had to rely on Margo and Clyde for everything...it sucks. I'll just say it sucks being useless.**

**-LJ**

**AKATSUBAKIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII!**

**-Tabunny**

These were just a small sample of the myriad of emails that Lincoln took the evening to respond to. He skipped the entire afternoon training to finish the queue, after which he was completely famished.

"Whoooowee!" He stretched, "Out with that crud..." He saw Laura exiting the shower, "Hey, wanna grab some grub?"

"Not now," Laura said, "Mentor demands we change roommates after supper."

"Ohh..." Lincoln started to gather his belongings as well, "So, this is it for us?"

"No. We will still be in the same class. And there's the matter of daily training."

"Ugh..." Lincoln groaned, "Ok, that's the last of it."

"I see," Laura said, "Well, then, shall we be off?"

"it's not like you to just accept an invite like that," Lincoln remarked.

"I've learned to accept that part of life," Laura commented.

The two made their way to the courtyard. Ichika, Charlotte, Cecilia, and Rin have already been assembled for a private dinner under the pavilion.

Ichika saw Lincoln approaching and waved, "Hehey, little Loud! You almost missed it!"

"Missed What?" Lincoln asked.

"The seasonal delight that is the luncheon redux!" Cecilia said, "We would've had this sooner, but..." she angrily poked Rin's shoulder.

"YAAAAAHAHAHAHAaaaaa...ow..." Rin groaned, "Like you wouldn't do the same thing!"

"No, I wouldn't," Cecilia said, "I'd wait until training to throttle him so that it looks less boorish."

"Excuse me?!" Ichika butt in, "Do you know what could've happened if she'd been caught?!"

"Oh, I do," Cecilia haughtily acknowledged, "and I just witnessed it."

"But do you know what will happen if she goes back home?"

"Oh, I d-Uh..." Cecilia suddenly shuddered.

"Sorry, Charles," Ichika said, "Welcome to prison."

"Hmhmhm, aren't you two overly dramatic," Charlotte laughed, which was met by a growl from Rin.

"Ok... I guess this is supper..." Lincoln led Laura to the giant table, "So, what's the big occasion?"

"Well, we're here to celebrate our joyous pasts!" Cecilia said, "It does feel like we keep clinging to each other for support, doesn't it?"

Lincoln and Laura were blank-faced.

"Well, say something," Cecilia ratted, "I've set up a speech for crying out loud."

Out of nowhere, Houki's voice, "Something I've set up a speech for crying out loud."

"Hello?" Ichika turned around, "Whoa...that's a bit much..."

Laura peeked over the people taller than her, "How feeble indeed..." she scoffed at the reason for the giant food table, until she saw who accompanied the table, "M-Mentor?!"

Houki, Cecilia, and Maya walked the giant food table into the pavilion.

"Oh, looks like we have a couple more guests!" Maya clapped, "Now we don't have to worry about the trash compactor!"

"Hooray...great..." Chifuyu hissed. She now has the 'honor' of showcasing her new chef's uniform in front of the two people she'd never wanted to see her like this.

"Mentor..." Laura has just about malfunctioned, "Why are you dressed like this?..."

"Because every other student is celebrating the month of giving Thanks in their respective halls," Maya said, "And I figured that you and Ichika and First year Representative Contenders would be busy with your other tests, so I gathered everyone here for a mid-autumn celebration!"

"I get it," Lincoln said to Maya whole nudging Laura's arm, "So, Miss Yamada made Miss Orimura wear that outfit."

Maya blushed a little, "Well, I wouldn't exactly call it that-"

"Yes," Chifuyu cut her off, "This was all Maya's doing. Get her."

Laura gave Maya the dead eyes, "You dare ruin her image..."

"Dial it down, Bodewig..." Maya nervously said while Lincoln massaged Laura's shoulders.

"Ok, people!" Chifuyu clapped, "Food's coming down!"

After Maya served the silverware and Chifuyu and Houki prepped the meal, all nine gathered together for one big "ITADAKIMASU!"

The group dug in for the big dinner. It was bigger than any of them ever imagined.

"Geez, this is enough for 13 people," Lincoln wolfed down some ramen.

"I noticed," Charlotte said, "I feel full just looking at it..."

"Better be careful," Rin joked, "The class trip is coming. We're going to a winter resort!"

"Yes, don't eat too much," Chifuyu grinned, "and don't shoot so recklessly," causing Rin to slump.

"So, does this mean we're back to square one?" Ichika asked.

That aroused Cecilia's curiosity, "What would make you assume that?"

"Well...how do I put this..." Ichika thought, "With everything that's happened this year, the unmanned IS and the tournament kerfuffle, you'd think that we'd learn some of lesson. But lately, I've been walking around the school, and I've heard people wishing that things would go back to the way they were...whatever that means."

The cycle...The damned cycle...

"Uh, Yeah," Lincoln scratched his neck, "Anyone know what that could mean?"

"It means they wished you were the same as when you first arrived in the school, all dense and unknowingly dragged into their little games," Cecilia explained, "I find it rather distasteful how they value a manservant over an actual man."

"That's rich!" Rin laughed, "This is coming from someone who was captivated by a one-day stand!"

"And where were your double barrels this morning?!" Ichika griped.

"Oh, don't sweat the small stuff," Rin tried to nag him away from that incident, "If you had only known that Charles was really a Charlotte."

"How was I supposed to know?!"

"How were you not?"

Charlotte interrupted, "Miss Rin, can you pass me the Kobe wagyu please?"

"Sure!" Rin snagged a piece of beef with her chopsticks, "Heads up!" and flicked it right into Charlotte's mouth.

"Mm! Thanks!"

"Anytime, Charles," Rin **OOPS**, "Wait! No, I meant-"

"Hahahahaaaa," Charlotte chuckled, "How were _you_ supposed to know, Miss Fan?"

"Exactly!" Ichika said, "You can't!"

"Leave me alone," Rin growled.

"You can't blame her," Cecilia said, "Witnessing the very couple that raised you divorce at a moment's notice would skewer anyone's perception of man and woman."

"Hallelujah, something that I can understand!" Rin feigned cheerful applause before she fully absorbed what was just said, including the D-word, "Hey, How did you know about that tidbit from my past?..."

"Well..." Cecilia got nervous, "I, uh...overheard your conversation with Ichika earlier today..."

"Oh, here we go," Houki stuffed a gigantic mouthful in her belly.

"Wait, that was you?" Ichika asked, "That's where the burning sensation came from?"

"You didn't blab this to anyone, did you?" Rin aimed a piece of sesame chicken to Cecilia.

"Of course not!" Cecilia defended herself, "Why would I spill something so personal onto unworthy ears?!"

"Because it's in your nature," Chifuyu said through a mouth full of sushi, "The first time you saw me in the entrance exams, you begged me for the latest news on the two male pilots."

"*GULP* Uh...well, I was just..." Cecilia panicked, "...scoping out the competition! Yes, that's all it was!"

"In other words," Laura said, "you are saying that you aim to be the best."

"Well, I would think that the goal of a Representative Contender would be exactly that," Cecilia confirmed.

"Ohhhh..." Maya caught onto that statement, "To be the best, you have to be the best," and she made Cecilia and Laura shudder, "and guess who's technically the best..."

Chifuyu choked on a sip of soda, "OOF-ACK...ACK...hhh..." she kept her eyes down as she could feel all eyes on her, "Gee, I wonder..."

"There's more to it," Laura said, "To even have a chance at facing the best, you have to go against the only other person who could match her caliber."

"And who could that be?" Charlotte leaned in, while Cecilia and Houki grew uneasy for different reasons.

Rin slammed her hands on the table, alerting everyone to her dramatic intro, "THE ENERGY OF THE PINK BUNNY THAT WILL ALWAYS KEEP GOING, THE BOMBASTIC CREATOR OF THE INFINITE STRATOS AND THE ORIGINAL BRUNHILDE! TABANEEEEEEE SHINONONO-"

Houki angrily bopped Rin's head, "I have no idea who that could be."

"Owwwww..." Rin rubbed her hair, "That was mean..."

"Do I sense a bit of jealousy in you, Miss Houki?" Charlotte grinned, "Or are you still angry that Tabane is your sister?"

"Well...I don't know!" Houki stammered, "I guess... I'm just mad, ok?"

"Why?"

"Because for the longest time, I've never even seen her. She was always smart, but she was always frail. The moment she was born, she had to be hospitalized, and we had very contact because she was always being treated."

The table fell silent. No one knew how much Tabane had gone through in her childhood years.

"Gee," Lincoln said, "I had no idea..."

"It's not that big of a deal," Houki continued, "Well...it wouldn't be if she'd at least talk to me. Or explain why Mom and Dad always cuddle to her needs every day. I'm the younger sister, but they're always giving care to Tabane, while I've been left to dry. And to make things worse, after Tabane created the IS, I was separated from my parents and shipped off to hiding while Tabane was whisked away to kingdom gone! Seriously, I think those nanomachines she developed got to her head! It would have been nice to get a phone call, or at least a letter, but NO! NOTHING! JUST DEAD SILENCE! I THOUGHT SHE COULD WORRY ABOUT ME, BUT TURNED OUT I WAS SO STUPID TO WORRY ABOUT HER BECAUSE SHE GOT TO TALK TO EVERYONE AND GET ALOOF WITH HER PRANCING AROUND IN THE IS **WHILE HER SISTER AND PARENTS WERE STUCK IN LIMBO FOR SIX WHOLE YEARS ****WONDERING WHAT THE HELL IS GOING ON_ WITH THE WHOLE DAMN WORLD GETTING ALL-"_**

"Houki! Houki! Houki! Easy! Take it easy!" Rin jumped on Houki's back and massaged her neck, "It's ok...it's all in the past...there's nothing but the moment..."

"Hah...hah...hah...hah...hhhhhhhh..." Houki relaxed herself as much as she could, "Just...just say something...that's all I ask..." before going back to her food.

"But at the very least, your parents are still alive?" Cecilia asked, and Rin and Houki nodded.

"Uh, better not go there-" Lincoln was cut off by Cecilia.

"That's a relief," Cecilia didn't listen, "Mine are dead. I'm an only child, so that only made it worse for me."

"Whoa!" Rin exclaimed, "The hell did that come from?!"

"Oh, you told me this story," Charlotte said, "You had a fortune to protect, no?"

"Yes," Cecilia nodded, "Either keep the fortune, or live in Blackpool."

Most of the group twitched upon hearing the word 'fortune'.

"Well, I'd say you're better off than me," Charlotte said, "My papa had an entire company under his thumb. We were supposed to develop the next Gen3 prototype, but he's the typical 'Do it my way!' boss. He refused to make changes until he found out that his manufacturing permit was in danger of being revoked."

"So, your father sent you as a ploy for money, essentially," Laura said.

"That's crude, but...basically, yes," Charlotte sighed.

"It can't be any worse than being cast out for not being able to fulfill the singular purpose you've been trained to accept as your life's mission," Laura bluntly stated, maintaining her emotional blankness while everyone else reacted with bewilderment.

"Could you repeat that?..." Houki asked.

"All I heard was _backanugkelaukfuaknx_ life's mission," Rin quipped.

"I can think of something," Ichika said, "How about getting kidnapped and feeling like you always have something over your shoulder, no matter how much you don't want it?"

"I think we've all been there," Lincoln said, "I still nothing but dust mites in my slot of the trophy case."

"All I have is kendo," Houki said, "Tabane has...everything else."

Suddenly, Chifuyu stepped in, "I had to constantly watch over Ichika."

"Yes, we already know he's your younger brother," Rin groaned.

"But did you know that we're all we've got?"

"Huh?!"

"Say that again?" Cecilia leaned her head in.

"There's a reason I'm strict on everyone, especially Ichika," Chifuyu elaborated, "Our parents didn't care about us. They constantly fought over the stupidest things.

It got to the point where they couldn't take it anymore and flat out disappeared when we were young. We had to learn to survive on our own."

"Jesus..." Rin muttered.

"Didn't know that..." Cecilia whispered.

"I don't like to talk about it either," Ichika said, "They're my parents. They're supposed to be the role models, the people we should aspire to be when we grow up..." he went to a second plate of food, "...instead, they endangered four lives."

Lincoln took in everything that was said, and played the connections game again, "As if I needed a reminder..." he felt irritated that he had to get everything he felt during the squirrel costume incident spat in his face, "...at least it can't get any worse, right?..."

"Miss Yamada?" Laura suddenly caught her eye, "You've been awfully silent throughout the exchange."

"*SURPRISED INHALE*" Rin yanked Houki down, "Did she just say..."

"Aye," Houki narrowed her eyes, "she did."

"Oh, that's because I didn't have a traumatic past," Maya laughed, "I grew up in the normal boring crowd, so I just carried on with my life," earning the ire of every other person at the table, "What? Why's everyone looking at me like that?"

"Frickin' normie..." Lincoln uttered under his breath.

"Must be nice to live like a cushion," Cecilia agreed.

"How can we legally traumatize her?" Houki wondered.

"What are you trying to say?!" Maya stammered.

Rin broke the tension, "Hold up. There's something I've been wondering."

"What would that be?" Charlotte wondered.

"Well, we got two guys who can wield a weapon only meant for females," Rin smirked, "Does that mean that Ichika and Lincoln are actually girls?"

That brought on reactions from the other girls at the table:

"OOOHOHOOOO, SNAP!"

"I didn't consider that!"

"Burrrrrrrrn!"

"Ichika, How could you?!"

Ichika threw his hands across a plate, "Whoa Whoa Whoa! Are you saying that we're not real men?!"

"Well, if being an IS pilot is any indication," Laura smirked.

"I can prove my manhood right now!" Lincoln stood up.

"I recommend you not," Charlotte stopped him, "You're going to raise so many questions-Hahahahahaaaaa!"

"Oh god, we're gonna go there?..." Chifuyu groaned.

"Maybe we should've brought the wine," Maya muffled through a mouthful of fried rice.

This was the mood of the dinner from that point onwards, just a bunch of friends that have one thing in common venting out as much emotion as they could in an hour and a half. They all had their say in certain topics, and they all had their fair share of miracles and grievances from life; even Laura got in on the verbal action with a little encouragement from Lincoln and Charles, and Ichika became a bit more aware of a woman's psyche (to Houki and Chifuyu's approval and Rin's disdain).

Lincoln offered his two cents whenever he could, but most of the time he just laid back and watched the conversation unfold. It was very refreshing taking part in a gathering that didn't induce chaos or backlash from anyone. But the longer he stayed for dinner, the more disconnected he felt. Not because he didn't talk as much as he wanted to, but because his eyes were shifting back and forth between each person here, mirroring that one big quality in their verbal speech that his sisters shared.

It was more than a simple detach. He felt like he was invited to the grownup table, only the "grownups" were grown-up versions of his sisters and himself. And he fit in right away, striking up conversations he wouldn't normally have with his family in his world. It was scary how much he settled in with the older people. It was scary how much he didn't want to go back to his old life.

And yet, he still continued to carry all that emotional baggage on his shoulders, simply because there was no one...nothing to carry it off him.

The dinner ended with high spirits, hyped handshakes, and a well-deserved reminder of that upcoming test. While everyone had walked back to their rooms, Laura and Lincoln were standing in front of Room 1025.

"Any moment, Charlotte will finalize the room change," Laura said, "So it looks like we won't be communicating with your family together."

"I'm positive we can all fit in that room," Lincoln said, "It's just two people on full-sized beds. What's space to us?"

Charlotte came out, "Well, Ichika. I'll be seeing you tomorrow."

"Same here," Ichika waved, "Till then," then went in the shower.

Charlotte waved back, then turned to Laura, "Well, Miss Bodewig. Shall we?"

Laura nodded, "I'll join you shortly."

Charlotte went ahead to Laura's room.

"Well," Lincoln said, "How do I make this goodbye obviously not a goodbye?"

"Impossible," Laura answered, "You'll drag it out longer than it has to."

"Right...well, see you tomorrow," Lincoln held his palm out.

"Likewise," Laura recognized this gesture and slammed her palm against his.

"Hehey, you learned it!"

"I saw many soldiers do it. Only makes sense for me to do so."

"Of course..." Lincoln turned to enter 1025. But just as he stepped one foot inside, "Hey, we-" YANK! "-GG-WA-"

**-SMOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOCH!-**

"BLECH-ACK-ACK-HHH...you...how...the..."

"In case your relationships back home falter *WINK*" -walk away-

"Uhhhh...I'll think on it later..." Lincoln closed the door and plopped his bag and body on his old bed, "AAAAAGHHH...that feels nice..."

"I'll say," Ichika opened the door, "The hot water's a magical enchantment on my shoulders."

"You're not going to the bathhouse?"

"Nah. I need to unwind in the comfort of my personal space once in a while," Ichika stretched his body out on his bed, "AHHHHHHHHHHH...man, I haven't felt that since I got here..."

"Oh? What have you been feeling?"

"Tension. In every sense of the word. I can't relax with all these girls buzzing around me. It's like they've forgotten that I'm supposed to be a pilot."

"Yeah, I never got that. Maybe we stood out an unusually compatible pair..."

"If that was the case, that door would've been turned to wood shavings within the first month."

"Hahahaha, true that...You think they'll look at differently now?"

"They have to. I stood up for myself a bunch of times. And I stood up for you, in every single girl's smug little faces."

"Yeah...I saw..." Lincoln was very touched. No one had genuinely stood up for him in the face of adversity until Ichika and Charles. They were the only two people who had no ulterior motive other than preventing any more harm to him. Did he ever witness this level of camaraderie from Clyde?

No...probably not.

"Say," Lincoln asked, "We haven't chatted in a while, have we?"

"Nope..." Ichika sat up, "I have to ask. The whole dinner you just sat there and stared at us...were you really looking at the older versions of your sisters?"

"Uh...Yeah. I'm trapped in the uncanny valley."

Ichika and Lincoln had a night-long conversation about whatever they could think of to keep the friendly banter going.

Meanwhile, after Charlotte settled in 1006, the two were off to bed. But Laura couldn't sleep. She kept replaying that one severely out-of-character moment where she jammed her tongue down Lincoln's mouth. Why did she do that? She already got a high five from him. She already got the hangout, eat, talk, and share a tea ceremony with him. Why did she have to get in a wet kiss?

"Sigh..." Laura mouthed, "One of the many great mysteries I may never solve..."

Charlotte was awoken by the sound of a sliding door. She slowly opened her eyes and saw Laura sitting on the rail staring at the brilliant light of the moon. She rubbed her eyes and walked out to meet Laura, "Is something on your mind?"

"Yes," Laura said without turning her head, "I am in conflict with myself."

"Oh? Is it about Ichika or Lincoln?"

"Wha..." Laura jolted, "How did you know?"

"I am quite privy when it comes to emotional states," Charlotte said.

"Emotional...elaborate."

"Before, I used to think of them as weaklings, but now my perception of weakness has been skewered. Their weakness is actually their greatest strength. They would go to great lengths for another person."

"I think anyone would," Charlotte leaned her head on the rail, "You'd be surprised to see what someone would do when their loved ones are in danger."

"I see...so, the main reason Mentor came to Germany... was because of her brother..."

"Miss Orimura didn't know it at the time, but she singlehandedly wiped out a quarter of a major international terrorist organization. But she only saw them as a bunch of thugs who kidnapped the only person she had left in the world. And she had the Barrier Disabling Attack active too. She would not stop using it until she made sure Ichika was safe."

Laura continued talking with Charlotte about how unpredictable an honest person could be, and how much one person was actually worth to another.

Meanwhile, Houki took her own words into consideration and searched for a private place to calm her mind. She ended up wandering into a holding area's launch pad, where almost no one would think to look for her.

"Well..." Houki gulped with so many emotions running through her mind, "If I don't do it, no one else will..." she took her cellphone out and prepared to make a call, "Hhh...ok...my word is my bond..." She tapped the call button and waited. And waited. And wai-

["Hi, hi, hi-di-ho! It's everyone's favorite superstar, Tabane Shinonono!"]

-CRK!-

Houki crushed her only means of communicating with her sister, "Why did I even bother..."

"What could you be doing up at this hour?" Cecilia startled her from behind.

"Cecilia?!" Houki patted her chest, "I could ask you the same question!"

"I couldn't sleep because of your constant ruffling, so I decided to visit the toilet," Cecilia smirked, "I never thought you would actually sneak away on your own."

"Well... I just..." Houki gave up, "*SIGH* You ever feel like you were able to do something, and when you finally get down to doing it, it was worthless?"

"...Often."

"Well... I tried calling my sister."

"Your sister?" Cecilia exclaimed, "The creator of the IS Tabane Shinonono, your sister?!"

"You couldn't tell she was the creator when you call her. Heck, I just called her. fter who knows how long of not having a normal conversation with her, I finally mustered upnthe coorage to call her."

"You did?! Well, what did she say?!"

Houki propped her hands on her head like a pair of bunny ears, crossed her eyes, and did a mockery jig with a very high-pitched voice, "HI, HI, HI-DI-HO! IT'S EVERYONE'S FAVORITE SUPERSTAR, TABANE SHINONONO!" She then dripped her facade and sat down on the edge of the pad, "God, she makes me wanna-UUUGH!"

Cecilia knelt down beside her, "No offense, but...are you absolutely sure that she's the creator?"

"Honestly, no I'm not. I haven't talked with her in so long..."

"What was she like before she became the creator?"

"Oh...smart, very mouthy, always had something to say about _everything._ That smart mouth drove everyone away, except me and the family. Then, one day she received an exoskeleton that could help her with her daily activities."

"And let me guess. That changed her entire life."

"Yep. First thing she did was make Nano machines because she knew that they wouldn't support her the older she grew. Turns out those nanos allowed her to walk freely, without any help...and it all went loopy from there. She started getting more into her work and her achievements. She can't talk like a normal person anymore. It's like I don't even know she's my sister anymore."

"Sheesh... I figured you two were disconnected, but not to this extent."

"Yeah?"

"I mean, for all I know, I know your parents are still alive, and your sister is making a name for herself. That has to be some sort of a blessing?"

"I guess, but everyone looks at me like I have to follow in Tabane's footsteps. I don't know a quarter of what she says half the time. Sometimes, I wonder if I would be better off as an only child...I already feel like one."

"I am one, and I can say with absolute certainty...you're much better off with a wild sibling than without."

"Really? You have a fortune behind you."

"And no shortage of enemies who are willing to take it from you, whatever means necessary."

"What?"

"Oh, politics is a fickle thing when you have a teeny tiny bit of Royal blood in you. I have a queen as my ancestor, and that's all the excuse they need to come after me. My parents were my last line of defense. Now, the only thing prevent a hostile takeover is my status as a Representative Contender, and even that process is littered with dirty rife."

"Wow...there really is no such thing as a lavish lifestyle, is there?"

"Dear Houki, I shall tell you this: the only reason you're making more money is because you have to spend even more money. And to make more money, you must also spend money on protection and advancement."

"The hell kind of cycle is that?"

"The kind that scars you for live. I'm barely alive right now."

"When were you ever alive?"

"When I crossed your path?"

"All I saw was the sparkle from your eyes, lady."

And they continued their verbal antics throughout the night.

Rin was having a very rough night with her unusually large dinner, so she decided to spend her night outside, running around the campus as fast as she could to tire herself out. She was three laps in when she saw Kim running as well.

"Look out behind you!" Rin approached on her right.

"Oh, Huang!" Kim said, "I didn't expect you out here so late!"

"I had a big dinner! So...wow, I gotta run."

"I see..."

"Hey...what do you think I should do?"

"About what?"

"About Ichika?"

"Oh? There's a good trouble maker. Why do you ask?"

"Well, he's become less of a dunderhead, but he's still leaving the rest of us hanging over him, like a bunch of seagulls over a clownfish."

"Well, why would you be into him? He's a walking piece of cardboard, isn't he?"

"Yeah, but he broke a promise!"

"To marry him? Well, it doesn't do you any good if you refuse to explain it to him."

"I thought he could figure that out! Even fry Linc figured it out, so why couldn't he?!"

"Because that wasn't the big focus of his life. Right now, he just wants to honor the Orimura name and do right by his sister. It's not that he doesn't know, but rather he didn't have the time to know because he was too busy just trying to live."

"I know. He lost his parents, but-"

"I know why you are insistent on Ichika. He is the closest thing to resembling your father figure, correct?"

"Uh...that's...well..."

"That's your issue. You have all the time in the world, but you won't give a single second to him unless it works in your favor. The world doesn't work like that. You need to give him the choice and the time. If you restrict his choices and don't allow any recovery time, you'll make him look and feel worse than you want him to."

"I don't like where this is going..."

"Most of us don't, but we don't have a choice. Keeping people close to us is a lot harder than you think. Which would you prefer: to have Ichika as an eternal friend, or to make him yours now and have him as a husband with unfulfilled ambition later?"

"Ugh...where do you get these things?"

"I'm a third year here. I've seen some stuff."

"Oh. Makes sense. So, it's not long until you graduate, huh?"

"Actually, I'm graduating this winter."

"Huh?! Whaddaya gonna do till then?!"

"Dunno. My teacher said something about a special mission. If I succeed, I'll become Korea's IS Representative."

"Holy...that's quite a plate you got in front of you."

"I know...which is why I'm out here as well."

"Hey...wanna race?"

"Why?"

"Because if I win, I'll make you tell me the secret to being an IS Representative."

"Really? You think you can match a third year, just because you fought for real a couple times?"

"You'll be quite surprised."

"Fine. If you're so confident...if I win, you have to cut your hair!"

"What?! How dare you?!"

"What's wrong, Rin? Cold feet?"

"Oh, you are mincemeat!"

And Rin and Kim ran a stamina battle until sunrise. Sadly, the marathon ended in a draw.

The days came and gone, yet there was a different vibe in the school. Some of the students at the school were actively avoiding Lincoln and Ichika, which was a big relief for them. The boys hung out with their friends daily, which solidified their overall bond. Lincoln made to clear his head of the usual headaches with Maya, Kim, and Akina, while wading his way through the post-drama of high school.

The emails he received from home told of a slightly improved condition, but ultimately meaningless, as Hazeltucky picked up a few more academic victories to win the fall semester war, forcing the Louds to take refuge for the Thanksgiving break in Great Lakes City. Those emails would come back to rip off a piece of flesh from his rear, one week before Thanksgiving. Homeroom period, ten minutes before the bell.

"Ok, class!" Maya called the room to attention, "As you know, the class trip to Fuji-San will take place next Wednesday. So, to that, we will be drawing lots with the other classes to see who will be in a group! No more than three people together, though that won't stop groups from combining, most like."

As expected, the class whispered with excitement, for the weekend was theirs to shop to their hearts content. Lincoln wondered whether this trip would be worth it, considering everything the other students have done.

That all went out the window with Maya's next words, "You all know that, but...how do I say this...there's one person who won't be going." The entire class stopped all noise and listened in as Maya continued, "Um...Lincoln Loud?"

"Yes, ma'am?" Lincoln worried.

"Your parents refused to sign the release form, so...that means you have to stay here for the week."

Lincoln begrudgingly accepted, "Understood." Just one more bit of bad luck to keep him chained to the ground.

"I know it's a big downer," Maya said, "but if you could stay here for just a little while longer...after the bell-"

"I understand," Lincoln stopped her, "I have some things to do while everyone is away."

-DING-DONG-DING-DONG-

"Oh! That's the bell!" Maya ended class, "Everyone have a safe and productive day!"

The class was ready to taunt him for getting a long overdue just desserts for the bet, but they couldn't because of the friend group he formed with the other pilots, who considered him one of their own. They had to settle with disdainful glares and prideful smirks, arrogant expressions that honestly did nothing to dampen his mood.

"Hey, Linc," Ichika stopped by to console him, "Sorry You can't make it."

"Oh, I've gotten used to handling crap," Lincoln said, "I'll brush it off in a few...weeks?"

"Haha, it's not the worst thing that could happen."

A student called out to Ichika, "Let's go, Orimura! We have to plan for our special trip!"

"In a minute," Ichika sternly said before rubbing Lincoln's shoulder, "We'll talk later, ok?"

"Not to worry, Lincoln," Charlotte said, "We'll write to you on everything that happens. Maybe you could join us during the winter break."

"I'll buy you the most expensive souvenir they have," Cecilia said.

"Let's break out of here," Houki pushed them along, "I don't want to make him feel worse."

"It's fine, really," Lincoln said, "I'll be with you all in spirit."

This was a massive bummer. To be left out of the school trip was to be left out of a family trip. Not pleasant, especially when...it keeps bringing him back to the thing that started this mess. When the entire room was vacated to leave just him and the sub homeroom teacher, he started to doodle away in his notebook to try to get his mind off the devastation that was his squashed heart.

But then, he saw Maya proof the room, closing the blinds on all the windows, and even initiating a max-level soundproof feature. He knew then that there was a bigger reason he was being held over, but he was too fraught with deja vu to deduce what that reason was. His mind froze when Maya stood in front of his desk and knelt down to put her hands on his book. At that point, he just let whatever would happen to him come to pass.

And it did. Maya placed her hands over his and looked at him with steely green eyes, "Royal Woods and Great Lakes City have been targeted for a simultaneous attack."


	29. Mission Briefing

Lincoln blinked, "...Como?"

The classroom door swung open. Three more people entered the room. Lincoln's eyes widened when they saw.

"Dang, Mr. Gigolo!" Akina quipped, "What'd you do to get her contact?"

"Wait-Akina?! Kim?!"

"Oh, she told you too?" Kim waved.

"Miss Yamada," Chifuyu stared, "where are your hands?"

"EEP!" Maya quickly stuffed her hands inside her pants, "Uh...my bad..."

Lincoln had time process what exactly was happening to him, "Uh... is this a mission briefing?!"

"Well since you're up to speed, we can get started," Chifuyu motioned the four women to their seats, "Everyone pay close attention."

Akina and Kim sat opposite sides of Lincoln, while Maya uploaded data from her flash drive onto the blackboard.

"Lincoln, do you remember that talk long long ago about terrorist organizations and space travel?" Maya asked.

"I haven't forgotten," Lincoln really didn't like where this was headed.

"Well, this is the reason why the purpose of the IS is limited," Maya flashed several photos of shady people in official-looking buildings, "Terrorist organizations that remain a secret to the general populace have successfully taken IS units in the past. Their exact knowledge of the IS and its core is currently unknown, but we can safely assume that they have access to early 2nd Generation models, and are capable of capturing current 3rd generation units."

"Several field agents have spotted members of one such organization in your neighborhood two months ago," Chifuyu said, "The organization known as Phantom Task has made contact with someone from Royal Woods Middle school." An image was enlarged to show an older woman sitting in the park with...a young brunette with long, light brown hair, buck teeth, and freckles.

"MARGO?!" Lincoln hated where this went.

"You know her?" Akina asked.

"Yeah! She's Lynn's close friend!" Lincoln responded, "Why the heck would she get involved with a bunch of terror people?!"

"That remains unknown to us," Maya said, "What is known is that your family are potential targets for an attack due to Margo's closeness to one of your sisters."

"There's something else you should know," Chifuyu pulled forward a set of diagrams pertaining to a brand new IS, an angelic type unit, "This is the Silverio Gospel, a Gen3 joint collaboration between the USA and Israel. During a test run in Hawaiian airspace three hours ago, several moles for Phantom Task have been sighted."

"I have a question," Kim raised her hand, "Where were the other staff at the time of the testing?"

"They were occupied by other duties. Staff was spread thin, and they were able to sneak in disguised as security guards," Chifuyu then pulled up a profile of one of the test pilots, "or so we were told."

"So," Kim scanned the picture, "that captain is in on it too..."

"Phantom Task has been around for over 50 years," Maya said, "It's not unreasonable to believe that they've infiltrated many important places."

"Wait," Lincoln asked, "Why can't I ask for additional help?"

"Because this could be an attack on a bigger town," Chifuyu said, "We already deduced the first attack to be in a small town. Sending in more help would dramatically increase property damage, on top of already increasing the probability for property damage."

"And Ichika's sword is a one-hit kill," Kim thought, "We also cannot risk accidentally killing anyone."

"Correct," Maya said, "which is why we're sending in someone familiar with the layout of both cities to weed out the enemy."

"So...me," Lincoln said, "And Kim and Akina?"

"They're the closest compatible partners we could match you with to minimize recoil and detection," Maya explained, "I just had a feeling that the other Representative Contenders would cause more trouble than they would prevent."

"Ain't that the truth," Akina nudged, "Have you seen Rin after the last test?"

"I could hear her gloat from the ceiling, she was so loud..." Kim plucked her ears.

"We're about to begin the mission briefing," Chifuyu declared, "If anyone has any still outstanding questions, now is the time to ask them."

Akina thought on that request, "Miss Orimura, can I see the currently known specifications on the Silverio Gospel?"

"That's a reasonable request," Chifuyu booted up the info screen, "However, please keep in mind that if any of this information is leaked, you will be tried in a court of inquiry, which alone penalizes you with a minimum two years house arrest."

"Understood," Akina said. The specs for the Gospel appeared on her desk, "Holy...its speed and strength is off the charts..."

Kim and Lincoln gathered round the desk.

"I hate to think about it going rouge..." Kim mused.

"Does anyone know where it's going?..." Lincoln wondered.

"It'll most likely end up in Margo's hands," Maya said, "whether she wants it or not."

"But...why?..."

"Did Phantom Task contact anyone else around Margo's age range?" Kim asked.

"No," Maya said, "but we have reason to believe that Margo shared something with individuals her age."

"Oh my..."

"Are we ready to proceed to the briefing?" Chifuyu asked.

Lincoln looked at Maya, then at Akina and Kim, "Yes...might as well wrap it up ASAP." Everyone sat down and paid attention to the blackboard, which then displayed a map of Southwestern Michigan and Northern Ohio.

"Since I've witnessed Lori's...*AHEM* unbreakable love for Roberto firsthand," Chifuyu got a small chuckle out of everyone, "The Louds will try to spend the Thanksgiving break with the Casagrandes. That's when the enemy will strike. You have three objectives: prevent any and all casualties in both towns, neutralize all hostile parties, and return the Gospel to the designated homebase."

"Homebase?" Lincoln repeated, "So, We'll set up shop before the mission begins?"

"Yes," Maya said, "You will establish contact with code name AAdsz the moment you arrive in Royal Woods."

AAdsz...the code name of the mysterious confidante who supported Lincoln throughout the semester. He was finally going to see exactly who that person was.

"Will this involve Any IS action?" Akina asked.

"You're going to try to prevent any IS fights, if possible," Maya said, "In the case that a fight does break out, AAdsz already has the IS units to provide you."

"Wow," Akina commented, "This AAdsz guys really knows their stuff."

"Shinohara," Chifuyu said to Akina, "You will receive Rafael Revive Basic standard unit."

"Yes, ma'am," Akina acknowledged the order, without letting her excitement to use a real IS get the better of her.

"And Ha-Jin," Chifuyu turned to Kim, "You will be given Heaven's Dusk."

"Haneul-ui Hwanghon?!" Kim jolted.

"What?" Lincoln questioned, "What's a...hannueueulll-"

"It's the IS given to the Representative of South Korea," Maya said.

"Whoa..." Lincoln thought this was out of line, "Why so quick to jump the gun? Isn't there a whole bunch of stuff you have to do to get that title?"

"Normally, yes, but..." Kim looked down, "This is my graduation exam."

"Huh?" Akina raised an eyebrow, "This mission? This life-or-death situation is just a test for you?..."

"It has to be this way," Chifuyu said, "South Korea's current Representative, Won Hwa Young, has announced her retirement and her intention to teach at the IS Academy. And she's chosen Kim as her successor."

"So, if we come out of this alive," Akina said, "Kim will graduate this winter? And she will be declared Korea's IS Rep?"

"I realize that this would give off the wrong impression of the mission," Kim assured them, "but believe me when I say that my status is just a byproduct of keeping you safe."

"You sure you're not tripping us up?" Akina squinted.

"If she was, she wouldn't be in this room with us," Lincoln said, "I trust her."

"Thanks, Lincoln," Kim hugged him.

"Well, ok," Akina agreed, "We've been through since the start of the term, so...heck with it!" and shared in the group hug-

"EEGYAGH!" Lincoln was smothered in between the two girls, "Can't...breathe...where am I..."

"Sorry," Akina giggled, "Had to get a gag in."

Chifuyu and Maya sighed in relief. They gave each other a confident look, as if they knew that Lincoln and Akina were in good hands, and they would take care of themselves.

"Then, the mission briefing is Loud, Ha-Jin, and Shinohara," Chifuyu declared, "You three will rendezvous with AAdsz. Afterwards, you will intercept the Silverio Gospel and Phantom Task, and drive them both out of Royal Woods and Great Lakes City."

"Since Kim Ha-Jin is the most senior pilot," Maya said, "she will be the designated group leader."

"Understood," Kim said.

"This mission will take place during the class trips," Chifuyu continued, "First, the student body will depart for their destinations. Two hours later, you three will depart for Michigan. You have until the Sunday after Thanksgiving to complete the mission and return to the school. Is that clear?"

"Yes, ma'am," they all said.

"One more thing," Maya said, "No witnesses. We need to maintain the element of surprise, so absolutely no one outside this room can know that you three have a mission."

Lincoln was a bit disappointed, "No one?"

"No one," Chifuyu reiterated, "Not even your sisters."

Later that evening, Lincoln, Kim, Hana, and Akina were together outside at the lookout, discussing the most recent development to hit the group.

"No way..." Hana gasped, "They're sending you to defend your home?"

"Yep," Akina butt in, "This is where the real hero stuff happens."

"Are you sure we can tell Hana?" Kim asked, "We can't trust anyone to keep a secret as big as this."

"I trust her," Lincoln said, "She isn't a spiller of all things verbal."

"So, that thing with the form..." Hana said, "It was all a ruse."

"This, after Lincoln said he wouldn't come home for the holidays," Kim said.

"You don't have to remind me," Lincoln shrugged the notion off, "I've been sending emails, but I haven't chatted with anyone since October."

"Oct-why?"

"Because...they blocked me."

"Whoa! This is your family!" Akina jumped, "I know they royally messed up, but they're still your family! Why the hell would they block you?!"

"It's because they know I've had vivid flashbacks to when I took a big hit for Lynn," Lincoln explained, "And dangit, they thought it would go away in a poof."

"Ok, you might be overreacting this time," Kim patted his back.

"Oh, no," Lincoln retorted, "If anything, I'm underacting. I should be more freaked out that they kept a secret like this hidden away from me. I should've just turned down the mission right then and there."

"Well, why didn't you?" Hana asked.

"Well..." Lincoln sighed, "Because...Ronnie Anne. She's in Great Lakes City, a place with hundreds of thousands of people. If those Phantom Task people are ruthless, they won't stop with her. They're gonna throttle her into killing tons of people, and maybe convert her to their side."

"I understand," Kim nodded, "but keep in mind...Ronnie Anne will have her own problems with your family. I doubt they've forgotten what happened to you the night you discovered the IS."

"Neither have I," Lincoln said.

Just then, several other students walked up behind them.

"Aww, look at the widdle kiddie," a student taunted, "Are you mad you won't get to join us on the trip?"

Lincoln bit his lip. He wanted to diss her, but he already told his mission to Hana, and he couldn't risk anyone else finding out. "...So, what's it to you?" He just played along.

"That's too bad," Kiyoka said, "Looks like Ichika won't be around to protect you any longer."

"Hana, why don't you go join us for once?" Sayuka begged, "You're much better off without this clique."

"What will it take for you to leave him alone?" Kim demanded, "You already got what you wanted, so bug off."

"I'll bug off when he agrees to play his part," Kiyoka growled, "Till then, sleep with one eye open." She then led the group away from Lincoln.

"Ugh...What is with her?..." Akina grumbled.

"Can't we just ignore her?" Hana asked worried about what Kiyoka would say next.

"No," Kim shook her head, "If we ignore it, she will find fuel underneath."

"But if we confront her, she'll just use it as an excuse to prop herself up even more," Lincoln groaned, "We'll just have to take her off our radar."

"Not my favorite choice," Akina scratched her neck, "but I wouldn't mess with a Representative Contender who is associated with you, so..." And they agreed to never get involved with any gossip girl again.

The days that succeeded the briefing were painfully cringeworthy for Lincoln. Kiyoka started talking about how close he was getting to Laura, and that spread like wildfire before it was immediately put out by Laura herself. Then, he had virtually no contact with anyone outside his own circle of friends, which he didn't mind. While the girls rejoiced in being free from Lincoln's influence for an entire week, Lincoln's team was busy with a little extra training in stealth and surveillance, making the others think that they were preparing for the end-of-year class match, though the rest of his friends thought nothing of it.

The weekend before the big trip, Ichika woke up early, "Psst...psst, Hey..."

"Mmm...What is it, Ichika?..." Lincoln mumbled.

"I wanna try something."

"Huh?"

"Just follow my lead," Ichika woke him up right when there was a loud knocking at the door.

From Houki, who was waiting outside the room, "It's me, Ichika! It's time to start your morning training!"

Laura crept up behind her, "So loud...what are you pushing around that for?..."

"It's nothing, Laura," Houki said, "Just Ichika has morning training, and the door's usually locked."

"I see," Laura walked to the door and gave it two soft knocks, "If you use a downward slash on the area in between the handle and the edge, the locks will be jammed to the open position. Then you can drag him out with ease."

"Huh..." Houki looked at her bamboo blade, the looked at the door, "I'll try it now." She took her stance and swung down, "Open up, Ichika!"

-THWACK!-

The handle was rattled, but it became jammed, and the door simply swung open.

"Let's go," Houki led Laura inside, "Get up, Ichika. It May be Sunday, but that's no excuse to slack off, so wake up-"

The room was completely empty. No inhabitants to speak to.

"Uh...wh-wh..." Houki stuttered, "Where...how..."

Laura scanned the room and saw some curtains fluttering by the balcony. "Well, Well," she couldn't resist a tiny smile, "I'd say he's earned a day off today." She pointed Houki to the curtains, which were blown away to reveal the open field outside the balcony.

Houki's rage grew tenfold. She started to pant heavily like a deranged werewolf.

"Well," Laura figured out what was on Houki's mind, "I shall alert the others," and excused herself. Once she jammed the door back to locked-

"TRY AND ESCAPE ME, WILL YOU?!" Houki's rage maxed, "**YOU WILL DIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!**" She turned 1025 into an uninhabitable wasteland.

And on the residence building rooftop, Lincoln, Ichika, and Charlotte couldn't be any more thrilled.

"The banshee has been unleashed, hahahaaa!" Lincoln cheered.

"Ok-*SNICKER*-let's bail!" Ichika said, and everyone deployed their ISs and fled.

Charlotte was too busy laughing to watch where she were going.

A few minutes later, they were on the monorail bound for a super regional mall.

"Ahhh..." Ichika stretched his legs out, "Just what I needed to start the day..."

"I'm not so sure," Lincoln sat opposite Ichika and Charlotte, "I give it fifteen more minutes before Houki slices everything with her bamboo stick just to maim us."

"Uh...so, Ichika?" Charlotte stared at her knees, "Why did you invite me to come along with you today?"

"Well, the class winter resort trip is coming up," Ichika said, "And since you and I don't have a proper clothing set yet, I thought we could turn a simple shopping trip into a fun little romp, just the two of us."

"Uh-really?!" Charlotte brightened up at the sound of a possible day with Ichika alone, but then she realized, "Wait, what about Lincoln?"

"I'll be watching from afar," he said, "but I'm supposed to meet with Hana and Akina for something, so you won't even notice me." In actuality, Lincoln had been looking for any possible escape from reality, and anything would do at this point.

"I see..." Charlotte muttered in awe, "Wow, I never thought this day would come..."

"What day?" Ichika caught that.

"Oh! Uh, please pardon my language!" Charlotte waved her hands, "I'm just...I've never been on a hangout before..."

"Well, just stick with me and don't get lost," Ichika smiled, "and I'm sure the rest will take care of itself."

"If you say so..." Charlotte blushed, then quickly regained her composure, "D'accord. I'll be in your care."

When they dismounted from the station, they made their way into the shopping mall. Lincoln would've been more awestruck by the sheer size and grandeur of it being five times bigger than Royal Woods Mall, and seven times more fancier and High-end, but he was too fixated on finding Akina and Hana to really care. Sure enough, he found them at a cafe, right when Ichika decided on a new nickname for Charlotte.

"Hey, little Loud!" Akina waved, "Glad you could join us!"

"You're still not disappointed you can't come with us?" Hana asked.

"That's all water under the bridge," Lincoln wagged his hand, "I'm more disappointed in Charlotte's new nickname."

"And, _now _we're veering into the NUNYABEESWAX territory," Akina commented.

"Come, come," Hana dragged the two inside, "We have to chat."

Ichika had just told Charlotte to go on ahead to the premium store when he spotted a familiar looking guy and girl, brother and sister, each with red hair and a purple headband. "Dan. Ran!" He walked over to them.

Ran was just giving her brother a lecture about women's clothing, "Full use swimsuit, beach use swimsuit, "It's on!" yukata, "It's on!" lingerie, "It's on!" swimsuit, relaxation pjs, sensual pjs...You need each kind to use as the situation calls for!"

Ichika intervened at the right time, "Ohhhh, and what kind of situations are those?"

Ran freaked out at the sudden appearance of her very good male friend.

But her brother Dan welcomed it, "Hey, buddy. You doing a little shopping?"

"Oh?" Ichika's Hans still had his gift to Houki, "Oh, I was," he pocketed the red box, "Wow, that's quite a load you got there. Are all those bags swimsuits and yukatas?"

"Oh, there's so much more here," Dan rambled, "Ran said she was gonna show them off to you-"

Ran couldn't take it anymore. It was bad enough that she was caught shopping for appealing clothing by the one person she wanted to show in private, but then it got worse when he was discussing it with her own brother. She was so overwhelmed with embarrassment that she ended up kicking Dan away just to stop the rant. Ran was relieved to have stopped the blabbing.

But Ichika was just plain shocked, "...what...was that..." and not in a good way. He witnessed this kind of behavior before, with Lincoln and the student body.

"What was that?" Ran sort of panicked, "Ehh, What was-"

"You just kicked your own brother..."

"Oh, never mind that," Ran tried to sway the conversation away from her recent baggage, "So, did you come to buy a-"

"Nuh-uh, don't talk to me." Ichika saw what she was doing and gave her the cold shoulder. He walked past her and helped Dan to his feet, "Hey, You alright?"

"Ugh...peachy keen..." Dan groaned, "Whew... and there goes the baggage fee..."

Ichika looked around him. Bags full of swimsuits, yukatas, underwear, lingerie, and god knows what else...all of them, Ran was going to show off to him. His eyes were starting to open up to the cruel, cruel world of affection, "I forgot. Who's the superficial one around here?"

"Um! Hey!" Ran again tried to distract Ichika, "So, I'm about to-"

Ichika got angry, "I said, don't talk to me!"

"Whoa, Whoa, easy there, buckshot," Dan patted Ichika's shoulder, "She's my sister. It's all cool."

"No, it's not! She just winded you in the belly button!"

"Oh, she does that all the time. I just learned to live with it. Besides," Dan pulled a racy pair of panties from his hair, "I managed to tame her for this long." Then, he proceeded to clean up the mess.

Ichika realized what they were doing before he crossed their paths. It was supposed to be a measly shopping trip, but it turned into a quest for eye candy, where Ran was the overbearing manager, and Dan was the overworked employee. It happened to Lincoln. It was also happening to Dan. It was dangerously close to happening to himself, but he was lucky enough to escape it.

"Ichika?" Charlotte arrived just in time to snap him out of his trance, "We should be going."

"Yeah, lead the way," Ichika allowed her to take his hand, "I guess I'll be seeing you, Dan."

"Be seeing you too, man," Dan waved.

Ran was devastated with this turn of events, but she couldn't let Ichika out of her sight without saying something, "Uh-Wait! Are you sure you-"

Ichika gave Ran the death glare, "What did I say?"

Ran was forced to let him walk away with another girl, "Uhhhh...I can't believe it..."

"Ok, sis," Dan walked to her, "Your precious articles have been regathered."

"UGH!" Ran suddenly snatched all the bags from him and turned away, "YOU RUINED EVERYTHING!"

"Huh?" Dan blinked, "What'd I do?"

"Why're you asking me?!"

"Hey, you said it first."

"DO I HAVE TO DO EVERYTHING HERE?!"

Elsewhere, Akina and Hana dragged Lincoln to a swimsuit parlor.

"Really?..." Lincoln moaned, "You dragged me out here for this?..."

"What's wrong with that?" Akina came out of a fitting booth with Hana wearing a two-piece, "Gotta spend out last days together, don't we?"

"Well," Hana said, "What do you think?"

Lincoln couldn't escape this time; he was literally in a corner, "Um...it's...it's cute..." It didn't help that she was wearing orange, his favorite color.

"Did you hear that?" Akina pined, "He called you cute!"

"Akina, let's not make a scene here," Hana made a futile attempt to push her off.

Lincoln backed away, "Ok, I'll be over here trying to control my pube-" until he was moments away from bumping into "-huh-LAURA WHAT?!"

"Good to see your awareness has improved," Laura pushed him back inside.

"Ok, I know what you're thinking," Lincoln stammered, "And I have to say that I was dragged into this crazy train-OOF!"

He bumped into Akina and Hana, who then flinched when they saw Laura again, "AAA! WHY YOU?!"

"No need to be alarmed," Laura shushed them, "I'm merely here on her orders." She pointed behind her.

Lincoln, Akina, and Hana peeked over the German and saw the most random occurrences ever: High Card-Cecilia and Night Club-Rin in a mall-wide piggyback race, and Strong Suit and Houki locked in another bamboo death match.

"Do I have to ask..." Akina winced.

"Suzuki," Laura said, "Why don't you pick something that brings out your eye color to compliment your swimsuit?"

"How did you figure that out?" Hana asked while Laura pushed her into the accessories shop.

Lincoln was winded, "Ok...what just happened?"

Akina shrugged her shoulders.

Laura came back and confronted them, "Tell me the truth...you've been given a mission, have you not?"

"PBBTTTHAH?!" Akina yelped.

"Wha-Wha-whaaaat are you on about?" Lincoln stammered.

"We were given a severe makeup test, that's what happened," Akina said.

"I had to code together a program for neural synchronization."

"And I had to memorize every single known component of a core!"

Laura opened her eyepatch and seemingly sent both her eyes into Lincoln and Akina's soul, "Really?..."

"Yeah! Honest! We're just as miffed as always!" Akina said while Lincoln nodded in agreement.

Laura stared into their eyes for another five seconds, then decided in her mind that further questioning was worthless. She closed her eyepatch and went away to track Ichika and Charlotte. Once she was out of their range of sight, Lincoln and Akina sighed deeply.

"I've never been so scared in my life..." Lincoln patted his chest.

"I looked into her deadlights," Akina said, "and nothing else mattered."

"She's definitely onto us," Lincoln panicked, "What're we gonna do?!"

"Just keep clam, and don't act dysexlic," Akina responded, "We're only in trouble if we get caught."

Right when she said that, High Card and Night Club came up behind them laughing Cecilia and Rin's lungs off.

"Bro, you missed it!" Night Club raved, "The first ever Piggyback Qualifying Race!"

"I could've had you if I literally wasn't dragging deadweight," High Card smirked and looked behind her as Cecilia and Rin slumped off their shoulders and slid to Lincoln's feet in a heavy spinning daze. When the two dizzy Rep Contenders blinked, they came to and recognized that white tuft of hair.

"INC LINC!" Rin jumped and pointed a scimitar at him.

"I should've known you'd be protecting that Frenchwoman!" Cecilia brushed herself off and pointed a finger at him.

"Uh..." and Hana came back, "Alcott? Fan? What's going on?"

"We're in trouble..." Akina and Lincoln whispered.

Laura walked into a store where Ichika and Charlotte were trying on various autumn outfits. She grabbed a random dress and went to a fitting room. Then, she took out a communicator and connected to her home base, "Clarissa, the information you provided about eye colors was very useful in my outfit selection. I am adequately prepared to board the winter destination with the rest of the class."

"Happy to be of service, commander Bodewig," Clarissa commed back, "We of the Schwarzer Hase Corps are always ready to assist in any situation."

"Also, I have made contact with the boy Lincoln Loud, and had my suspicions confirmed. He's been given a mission. He refuses to divulge its details."

"Ah, that will not be a problem. We are currently tracking the Silverio Gospel as we speak. It has recently been stolen from the Hawaii base, and is currently crossing into the USA mainland, so we suspect that Loud may be sent to intercept that IS. Detail of the Gospel are unknown, but it may prove too powerful for him to handle, as it has been classified as a 3.5 Generation type."

"I see," Laura nodded, "Can you touch base with our US contact to alert him?"

"At once, Commander," Clarissa hung up and turned to her subordinates, "Commander Bodewig has requested we go to the Michigan sewers to meet our contact."

The members of the Corps gasped,

"It's finally happening."

"Who among us will go?"

"I heard that the Gospel is more powerful than the Shirokishi-"

"Enough!" Clarissa ordered, "I will go and investigate this matter myself. I'm counting on all of you to provide the utmost support for the missions."

"Jawhol!" The members said.

Clarissa departed to her quarters to prepare for the flight to America.

"I don't understand," one of the members said, "Why can't Commander go there herself?"

"Because if she fails, then the enemy will not hesitate to finish her," another member responded, "Then who would be left to defend the rest of the world?"

Finally, the morning of departure. The class woke up earlier than usual to complete roll call.

"And that's everyone who's going on the class trip," Maya said, "Everyone from Class 1 has been accounted for."

"Good," Chifuyu walked to the front of the room, "Listen up! We're taking this class trip to fulfill a certain educational requirement. That doesn't mean that you can goof off and lollygag to your heart's content. The rules of boarding school will apply to the school outings, so everyone be on your best behavior."

"Yes, ma'am!" The class responded.

Lincoln looked down at his spiral as the rest of the class exited the room in single file. Everyone ignored his presence except Kiyoka.

"Sorry you couldn't come to ruin our fun," she said, "That's gotta be some bad luck."

"Just lay off him," Ichika said.

"I didn't say anything," Kiyoka dragged him out of the room.

When the class left the hallway, the line dissolved into a mess of eager trip goers who lost their patience to board the buses. Lincoln and Akina looked out the window to make sure that literally every student was out of the building.

"Is that everyone?" Lincoln asked.

"I got 160 for first year," Akina said, "170 for second year..."

Just then, Strong Suit and High Card sneak out from under his desk.

"I think it's safe to come out now," High Card peeked over the top surface.

"You think all the teachers are gone too?" Strong Suit asked.

"Nope," Lincoln startled them into clinging to the ceiling, "We just need to other students gone."

"Nineteen dumbs dub..." High Card said shakily, "Nice..." while Strong Suit was shaking on her back.

The door suddenly opened for Kim to enter, "So we're all-"

"YAAAAAAA!" High Card and Strong Sut flung themselves under the teacher's desk.

"The heck?" Akina giggled, "What's with you two?"

"We're on a secret mission!" High Card shouted, "We cannot be seen by literally everyone!"

"Not possible!" Strong Suit snapped, "Not only did Laura figure it out, but y'all blabbed to Hana!"

"She's a friend," Kim said, "We can't tell our friends about-"

Strong Suit suddenly patched herself onto Kim, "Laura's a friend, Kim's a friend, ONE OF THEM WILL BLAB AND THEN WORD'LL GET TO THE ENEMY **AND THEN THEY WILL COME TO US AND STEAL OUR ONLY ADVANTAGE**-" shake shake "_-**I AM DESPERATE FOR A CLEAN WIN HERE, PEOPLE!**_"

Lincoln picked her up by her jersey, "And you're not help things," while she kept swiping at him and yelling incoherent gibberish.

"Did you find a way out of here?" Akina asked.

"The entire school is clear of students," Kim said, "Once the buses leave, we can head back to the dorms."

"Great," High Card seethed, "More waiting..."

They were trapped in the classroom for another thirty minutes before the buses started to leave. When they made sure that the last bus was out of view-

-BAM!-

Strong Suit broke down the door with just her kick and ran out, "FREEDOM! FREEHEEHEEHEEHEEDOOOOOOOM!"

Lincoln, Akina, and High Card just poked their heads out.

"Do you see any stragglers?" Lincoln asked.

"My phone says no," High Card whispered, "but I don't buy it."

"You think they're hiding in the toilets?" Akina wondered.

Kim pushed them all out, "Get moving already," and lugged them to the dorms.

When they reached 1025, they all collapsed onto the beds.

"Ahhhhhhh..." Strong Suit rubbed her face against a soft fluffy pillow, "I love luxury death hotel rooms..."

"Ugh..." Lincoln groaned, "That was way more stressful than it needed to be..."

"Could you be even the slightest bit quieter, Suit?..." High Card wrapped herself in a blanket cocoon.

"And just how much noise were you making?!" Akina griped.

"Guys, focus," Kim regathered the group's attention, "We need to prepare to move to America."

"Wished you hadn't said that," Lincoln muttered while getting his bag.

"Oh yeah, forgot," Akina bopped her head, "We better go back to our rooms then..."

Akina and Kim had no trouble packing their bags because it was just a visit to another country for them. But for Lincoln, it was a heap tons more. To him, this was a revisit to the horrible circumstances that led him to the Academy in the first place, and an expedition of what it left behind. He was still going to complete his mission regardless, but he wasn't sure whether or not his family would be there to understand why he chose not to abandon the mission. He wondered whether they'll see it as an act of self sacrifice, or just Lincoln being Lincoln, or somewhere in between. If he completes this mission, will it be the start of another cycle?

"I don't know..." he said out loud.

"Aw, don't tell me you're getting cold feet now," Night Club suddenly materialized beside the bed.

"I just don't want to regret this," Lincoln said, "I wouldn't be able to live with myself if they end up incorporating this into the family routine."

"I think you wouldn't be able to live if anyone got hurt," Night Club sat down, "I thought you didn't like to see anyone getting...you know..."

"I don't like to place myself in the middle of a war. I can't imagine it. Royal Woods and Hazeltuckey kept it contained in school events, but Margo's from Hazeltuckey. What if word gets out that she made with Phantom Task, and things go from bad to worse?"

"Hey, you've got the IS. Maybe you can try to talk it out?"

"Only if I could reason with those PT people. But knowing how they're able to steal an all-powerful godbot..." Lincoln put the final article in his bag and zipped it, "Chances are they won't accept anything other than a JOIN US, HEATHEN!"

"Haha, I'd hate to be put up against the wall for that," Night Club stood up and stretched, "Ahhhh...well if I can offer something of help," she tuned her guitar, "I'd say...do what you did for Laura. Invite Margo to a burger joint or arcade, or wherever. Just get her by herself, and then have a little chat with her."

"That's..." Lincoln pondered, "Yeah...by herself?"

"Yeah. Sometimes, isolation is what you need to let the music flow freely throughout your body. Can you imagine trying to write a song with some assholes talking over your head? Or worse, touching your every last nerve, saying everything you've already heard four seconds ago?"

"Good point..." Lincoln swung his bag around his shoulder, "Ok. I'll convince Kim and Akina to let me go at Margo alone."

"*SNICKER*...bruh..." Night Club held her laughter in, "...do you know how that sounds right now?..."

"Dude-" Lincoln pushed Night Club out the door, "Lay off the hidden jokes already!" The two joined Akina, Strong Suit, Kim, and High Card in the main lobby.

"So," Night Club waved, "Did those hotheads give you guys a hard time?"

"No," Kim answered, "High Card was actually very helpful in choosing the essentials." High Card gave her a snarky wink, indicating that there were several...hundred items that didn't make it into her bag.

"Strong Suit wasn't," Akina pointed to her backpack, "She confused our mission for a goddamn tour."

"What?" Strong Suit snapped, "We can't snap a few photos before fighting the Phantom?"

"No," Lincoln said, "We cannot be recognized by anyone. At all."

"Dangit..." Strong Suit slumped. And with that, the three sidekicks got signal to fizzle out of existence.

"So, now what?" Akina dropped her backpack with a THUD!

"We wait," Kim said.

"HAAAA?!" Akina freaked, "WHY WAIT?!"

"Because approximately 35 minutes from now, the teachers will do roll call on the students on the trip," Kim explained, "We cannot leave unless everyone has been accounted for. Therefore, if anyone is missing, they might be hiding here on campus."

"Bluagh..." Akina threw her hands up disgust, "Fine, fine!" and then plopped her back against the bench, "I guess we'll kill some time with a game or something!"

"I know a game," Lincoln, in a last ditch effort to alleviate some of the emotional pressure, suggested a...suggestive time killer, "What's the most gruesome way we can kill time?"

Kim suddenly took out a watch and- "COME HERE, YOU SELF-CENTERED ILLUSION-FLOWING BITCH!" -knifed the poor accessory to shreds and crushed the remains with her fist, panting in an exhausted rage.

Causing Lincoln and Akina to lose all color in their skin and eyes.

"Duh wuhhhhh?" Lincoln poi'd.

"Why?..." Akina shook her head.

Kim reverted to her usual demeanor, "I'm sorry, What was the question?" and made Lincoln and Akina keel over.

Meanwhile, the students of IS Academy finally made it to the Fuji winter resort, after the longest 100 minutes of driving Ichika had to sit through.

Ichika pushed past the overly excited girls and cracked his neck in an open space, "Ugh...that was gnarly..."

"I couldn't agree with you more..." Charlotte leaned against his back, "I had no idea I could puke like a man..."

Suddenly, Rin jumped on Ichika's back, "Found you, my trusty steed!"

"ACK-what are you?!" Ichika staggered, "Get off me!"

"Whoa there! The pond's thataway!"

"Rin, what is the matter with you?!" Cecilia nagged her.

"What's wrong with a little expedition into the unknown?" Rin joked.

"Surely, you're not going to keep him from the promise he made?" Cecilia raised her brow.

"Huh?..." but Rin lowered her head to meet Ichika's eyes, "Fess up, Romeo. What did you throw your promise into?"

"I was gonna show Cecilia and Houki around the mountain valley," Ichika said, "I don't see what the big deal-"

"Are you stupid or something?!" Rin nagged on him now, "You could remember that promise, but you could give nut up about a promise to a childhood friend?!"

"Rin, please!" Charlotte hoisted her off him, "Not in the presence of Miss Orimura..."

"Tch..." Rin relented, "I shoulda stayed behind. At least Lincoln isn't such a pushover."

Ichika and Houki heard those words and conjured a vastly different interpretation, "That's kinda...creepy..."

"Alrighty, then," Cecilia nudged Houki, prompting them to take Ichika's hands, "shall we be off?"

"Yes, let's visit the shrine first," Houki said, "I need to wash the driving trip away."

"Good idea," Ichika agreed, "I bet we all still feel sick..."

The rest of the students followed closely behind, observing Ichika's every movement and interaction with his group companions.

Laura joined Hana and Charlotte for their group, "I never understood why they keep following him as if he embodies the perfect male."

"Oh, it's all having to do with the naïveté," Charlotte thought, "They still want to know how he is able to harness great strength while maintaining a kind and pure heart...or so Hana suggests*POKE*POKE*"

"Well, it's what the others say about him," Hana just stared.

"Well, he maintains his true self and his desire to protect those around him," Laura said, "but other than that...I am not sure what standards they have for him."

"I think we'll do better walking and talking," Charlotte led her group onward, "Shall we visit the ski slopes?"

"Oh! I feel right at home on the skis," Hana piped.

Laura was feeling unsure about herself given the uncomfortable initial experience on the bicycle, "Thank goodnesses Loud isn't here to see this..."

Maya was speaking with the instructor-chaperones who had just finished roll call, "So, that's everyone who's supposed to be here?"

"Yes, Miss Yamada. Everyone from all three years has been accounted for."

"Good! I'll take this to Miss Orimura!" Maya accepted the teachers' clipboards, "Y'all go and try(?) to have fun." The teachers waved and ran to catch their students, at which point Maya ran back to the bus Chifuyu was assigned.

"Miss Yamada?" Chifuyu noticed, "What are you doing here?"

Maya peeked around her three times to make sure no one else was within hearing range. Then, she whispered in Chifuyu's ear, "I didn't mean anything, but I was going on her hand and then looked up at the end."

Chifuyu's eyes widened. That was it. The code phrase that she and Maya agreed upon. It meant that the teachers and chaperonea did a clean sweep of the campus and the buses, and confirmed that only the three students remained at the Academy.

"I forgot my phone in the bus," Chifuyu told her, "You watch the kids until I catch up."

"As you wish," Maya nodded and ran to her class, "THE HECK?!" which was a mile away from her, "Dangit..."

Chifuyu took a step forward and made sure that only she was left in the entrance. Then, she called Kim's cellphone.

"Oh!" Kim jolted upward after pushing Lincoln and Akina outside, "That could be her!"

"Ok, quiet on the set," Lincoln said while Akina clung to her backpack.

"Kim Ha-Jin?" Chifuyu spoke, "Can you hear me?"

"Yes, ma'am?" Kim answered.

"Where are you?"

"The Residence hall."

"Good," Chifuyu walked back to the bus and closed the door, making sure she was the only person in it. Then, she pretended to rummage through the seat trying to look for an imaginary thing. "The students have arrived at the base of Mount Fuji," Chifuyu whispered, "Operation Save the Lakes and Woods is a go. You have one week."

"Understood," Kim hung up.

"Well?" Lincoln asked, "Who was it?"

"It...it was Miss Orimura," Kim flatly stated, "We are a go for Operation Save the Lakes and Woods. Our mission begins now."

"Whoa..." Akina gasped, "So, this is it? We're going to a new country? Experience new happenings?"

"Yes," Kim picked up her bag, "but we must leave now. The next train's in half an hour."

"Oh..." Lincoln readied his duffel bag and followed Kim and Akina towards the entrance.

"So, let me get this straight," Akina said, "Our job is basically to make sure nothing happens to the field trip?"

"Quite," Kim nodded, "But we have a week to protect them, and the Thanksgiving holiday doesn't start until Wednesday. Who said we can't have a field trip all our own?" She turned behind her, "Right, Lincoln?"

"Huh?" Lincoln shook his head, "Oh, oh right...right...choose our own adventure..."

"You ok, man?" Akina noticed the shift in mood, "You look like you wanna bail out of this."

"No, it's...it's nothing really," he smiled, "Just a little mental preparation." So he said, but his mentality was not in the best shape. Given his plan, his targets, and the many implications that this mission could have on his home, friends, and family...

...he absolutely loathed where this was going.


	30. Coming Back Home?

Monday afternoon in Hazeltuckey Middle school. Amidst the constant drama over the stalemate of the war, Hank and Hawk were discussing the plan to pressure the Louds into complete submission.

"Run that by me again?" Hawk was munching on a burrito.

"We'll let Margo handle that cracker brat," Hank said, "We'll follow them to Miss Brownie's place. You'll throttle the parents, and I'll rough up the kiddies a bit."

"So, you get the wimps, and I get the tough hardcore adults?" Hawk gulped down his last bite, "What're you getting at, bro?"

"Nothing," Hank answered, "Just..." He peeked around and made sure no one was around to hear him, then he whispered, "...Margo said to keep it secret. No one suspects us."

"Ohhhh, I gotcha," Hawk winked, "You'll go and silence those pipsqueaks."

"Exactly!" Hawk chuckled and punched his friend's shoulder, "You get it!"

"Right, bro," Hawk bumped fists, "So, how're you gonna beat them down?"

"*GULP* Beat down?" Hank swallowed his burrito whole, "Dude...All's I gotta do is beat down the strongest of the strongest. Everyone else is just pushover."

"Are you sure, bro?" Hawk got in his face, "What's your deal?"

"Why we gotta beat them down when we could make them out henchmen?"

"Dude, they're girls..."

"Not anymore, they ain't."

And on that cue, Hawk suddenly started getting very vivid fantasy flashes of him and Luna making a storm across the state, enforcing their rule onto the wusses of the masses, taking whatever they want, embracing their wild side and bringing their havoc to the fake strongmen of the world... and him dominating the rotten Louds and his own worthless family with Luna at his side.

Hawk excitedly threw his tray at a wimpy person and banged the table, "The hell what that other woman said! Let's take the Louds prisoner!"

"Sweet!" Hank was relieved that he wouldn't have to actually kill anyone (the two year old), "So, how are we gonna do this?"

"I was gonna follow them to that purple beaner and use her as a hostage-"

Oh, right. Hank forgot about her, "You want us to get mauled by a robot in undies? No, just knock her out cold!"

"Hell, no! I wanna make her scream! I still got that banana peel fresh in my mind," Hawk crushed his fork into dust, "I ain't about to let her outta my sight."

Back in their respective homes, Hank and Hawk were preparing for the Tuesday move. They both had in mind to subdue the Louds, but their methods just became very different. Hank was just a bully, but now one wrong move and he would be elevated to killer, something that Hawk would probably scoff at. He has to be careful with his own actions now, not just for his own sake but also for the sake of everyone else he's going after. Even he once had an ambition of his own, and he wasn't about to forget about it.

He had finished packing a very light bag when he heard a knock on the door, "Huh?" He stuck his head into the empty hallway and saw a tall silhouette at the door, "Janice should be home late...oh, crap." He grabbed a crowbar and charged at the door, "RRAAAAAAAAA-" but when he swung, a hand crashed through the glass on the door and caught the crowbar.

"Take it easy!" A womanly voice pierced the space, "I'm not an enemy!"

"Then, who are you?!" Hank screamed.

"It's Autumn! The orange woman Margo mentioned!"

"Margo..." Hank recognized the name. He loosened his grip on the bar, "What are you doing here? What did she say about me?"

The orange-haired woman opened the door from the inside and let herself in, "A lot. She said you're going out to Great Lakes City."

"Yeah..." Hank tensed up, "We agreed on that."

Autumn brushed her arm off and then locked the door shut, "She also said you convinced Hawk to spare the Loud family."

"Yeah. Why get rid of what's useful to u-"

Autumn flung a knife past him, barely grazing his hair, "Squall's orders were to do away with them. Margo did tell you this, did she not?"

Hank got nervous, "Uh...no. She didn't...what gave you that idea?"

"Hawk called," Autumn approached him, "Said something about changing the plan."

Hank slapped his forehead. He knew Hawk was a show-off, but he didn't think Hawk was bold enough to tell someone. He flinched when Autumn's hand smacked the wall behind him. She leaned in close and cornered him with her legs.

"What's the matter?" Autumn smirked, "Losing your nerve?"

"What?" Hank dropped sweat.

"You're not backing out of this mission, are you?"

"Absolutely not," he answered, "I'm still going to show that hag up-"

"Not the Anne, dumbass," Autumn grabbed his collar, "the whites. We need them out of the picture."

"But what if that girl was going-"

"We witnessed a demonstration in her area already. Ronnie Anne can't move jack-squat on that IS."

"Huh?!" Hank was stumped.

"Be honest," Autumn leaned in, "You're doubting yourself that you can pull this off. That's why you changed Hawk's mind, didn't you?"

"No, I just said I would go over there-"

"To kill them?"

"Well...we..." Hank couldn't find any more excuses. He knew that the plan was to kill them, but he never thought to question it until he was actually close to doing it at the football game.

"Listen," Autumn said, "Do you have any idea what those people would do if they're allowed to live? They've already remembered what you did to assert yourself in their presence and continually stood up to you and your ambitions. Spare them, and they'll remember this little operation and turn you in. You'll never get your dream gang if that happens."

"Dream gang-what?!" Hank was questioning that notion. He never knew it was possible to have his own words put into his mouth. But now of all times did he think that those words weren't really his.

But Autumn reminded him exactly why he went along with Margo in this plan, "And I don't need to remind you of what'll happen to you and yours."

"Janice..." Hank suddenly grew a second pair, "Oh, you better not-" he was pushed down "-AGH!"

"Oops... I guess the secret's out," Autumn taunted, "Punk little Hank and his skank mama had the fortune of coming here the right way. But sweet innocent Janice...well...didn't."

That brought up a lot of unnecessary emotions and stress onto Hank, "Take that back, you..." Unfortunately, what could he do against someone who caught his best weapon with her glass-scarred bare hands?

"So, Hank..." Autumn kneeled down to his level, "You will follow through with the plan...right?"

Hank had to comply, "Ugh...fine..."

"Good," Autumn brushed her hair off, "Keep in mind, there are stakes to victory and defeat. I suggest you pick the right path," and saw herself out.

Hank picked himself up and threw his jacket on the floor, "DAMMIT! Where's a good mom when you need her?!" He was frustrated beyond belief. His biggest secret, which he hadn't even told Hawk or Margo, had just been exposed by an outsider. He wasn't sure if he wanted to dominate the county anymore. He wasn't even sure if the Louds were worth it anymore. The only thing he was sure of was that he needed some pressure relief.

And he knew exactly who to get his relief from. That night, before the move, Hank walked over to the assigned hideout, where Juniper, Janice, Hawk, and Margo were finalizing the plan.

"Hey, dude," Hawk waved, "What took you so long?"

"Dude, we gotta talk," Hank said, only to be cut off by Margo.

"There's nothing to talk about," Margo flatly said, "Autumn told me what you were trying to do, and I'm not having it either."

"Come on!" Hank shouted, "Phantom Task can't use some more soldiers?!"

"I wish we could keep that punk rocker," Hawk thought, "but I can't help but feel like you're losing your touch. We stuck our backs out for each other, us against the world."

"But...killing them?! Did you ever actually kill someone before?!"

"No, but I wanna feel it."

"Whoa, wait, what?" Juniper overheard that last line, "You're gonna do what?"

"Bro?" Janice walked over to Hank, "Are we really gonna kill them-"

"Ok, can we please stop saying that word?!" Hank screamed.

"Don't walk out on us now, bro!" Hawk said, "I ain't about to let you ruin everything we've worked for."

"Who said I was ruining it?!" Hank protested.

"Hawk, you're seriously going to kill them?" Juniper asked.

"Well, uh..." Hawk attempted to answer, until...

"After the way those two mud heads rattled us?" Janice dragged Juniper into her armpit, "Why wouldn't he?!"

"Hehe, can't argue with that," Juniper nodded.

"Of course, we're gonna deal with them," Hawk ruffled their hair, "And you'll be there to see it all."

"It will be done," Margo agreed, then turned to Hank, "Right?"

Hank felt the pressure, not just from that Autumn woman, but from everyone else as well, especially the two younger sisters. He had to go along with them now, "Uh, sure...yeah, we'll do it."

While the youngsters cheered and Margo and Hawk nodded in suspicious content, Hank was unnerved. The little baby was now on his hit list, as were the parents and the first grader. And there was no escaping it this time. He was faced with a choice: deal with the Louds (and possibly the Casagrandes) an inch from death, or they'll deal with his sister.

A choice he'll have plenty of time to make, because by the time he finished his meeting with the attack squad, Lincoln and his defense squad arrived at the airport to their assigned terminal.

"Daaaaaaaaaang..." Akina whistled, "We get our own private jet."

"It belongs to the IS Academy principal...for some reason," Kim pointed out, "Let's not leave any stains on it."

"Pit stains or blood stains?"

"Any."

Lincoln was staring at the plane through the window, lost in his mind, "I'm going back home with more baggage than I left with..." He turned to Kim, "You think they'll get over the squirrel costume thing?"

"We won't know until we confront them," Kim couldn't find a good answer.

"Oh..." Lincoln patted his heart. He didn't want to come back to his family unsure about their coverup of his past. He had to know what they were thinking when he turned into their lightning rod, and he had to decide if it was similar to how he turned into a lightning rod for Ichika and Laura.

Just then, an announcement came through the PA system, "WE WILL NOW BE BOARDING FLIGHT P 1-1-3. ALL PASSENGERS COME TO THE GATE AT THIS TIME."

"That's us," Akina motioned them towards the check in station, "Let's roll."

The trio began the short walk into the long day. Lincoln managed to stow his reservations in the back of his mind. He took one last look at the oriental world outside the safety zone of the airport. He nodded to himself and put a fist in the air, "Be seeing you. I'm off to deal out some justice."

Unbeknownst to them, a German flight attendant was put on break and watched them board their plane. She tapped her earpiece and made a secure call to an unknown number, "Kommandant Clarissa Harfouch, I have visual confirmation of the boy Loud entering the private plane."

"Understood," Clarissa responded, "We will depart immediately." She hung up her phone and instructed her attendant to begin the operation, "We have clearance. Start einleiten."

Her attendant nodded and pushed down several switches to kickstart their plane's engines. She then ran diagnostics until the screen lit up green, "Autopilot is now active. We're ready for takeoff. Where to, Kommandant?"

"Detroit Metropolitan Airport," Clarissa ordered, "Maximum output."

"Jawhol," the attendant said, then signaled to the rest of the Black Hare Corps, "STARTBEREIT. STARTEN IN 3...2...1..."

The thrusters and engines roared. The flaps flew. Clarissa's plane rocketed out of the runway and took off to the sky at the same time as Lincoln's plane.

Lincoln's flight dragged on into the long ocean hours-

"Ohhhhhohohohomigoooood..." Akina moaned while opening her legs, "So this is what first class feels like..."

"Could you take it easy on the floor, please?" Lincoln tried to avert his eyes from Akina constantly rolling on the floor, "You're giving me the heebie-jeebies..."

"I never got this much knee and elbow room on those regular planes..."

Suddenly, Kim presses the button to close all windows, "Better enjoy it all now. It's time for us to get some rest."

"Oh, bugger..." Akina groaned, "Do we really have to? It'll be Tuesday afternoon in Michigan when we land..."

"At which point we'll have to flag down a hotel and wait for the next day," Kim said, "and then we'll have to meet with AAdsz and decide who's going where and then spend the next four days eyeing everything that looks like a robotic seraph."

Akina and Lincoln gave her that blank stare, "...we seriously have to do all of that?..."

Right when Chifuyu issued the entire first year class a grueling assignment, "There's a rumor going around that Fuji-san was where the very first IS core was developed. I want a two page research report confirming or denying this very rumor from each of you, before we leave."

All hundred sixty something students went "...we seriously have to do all of that?..."

Chifuyu reiterated very intimidatingly, "_Is there a problem?"_

"No, ma'am!" Everyone screamed.

The right time to do whatever rapidly turned into wrong time to do nothing, as all (but five) first year students groveled over the potential drag this assignment had on the supposed fun-time trip.

"Guh...Why did it have to come to this?..." Cecilia groaned.

"This really puts a damper on everything I planned for us," Rin cracked her neck, "I actually had a whole itinerary raring to go!"

"And how much of it involves some begotten competition?"

Rin looked away, "...half of it?"

"You know, we technically have a few days to finish this thing," Charlotte said, "There's nothing stopping us from collaborating."

"That's a little helpful..." Cecilia said, then she was felt up the shoulder, "Ohhh, Ichika? Quite the grip you-"

"Oh man, your shoulders are unbelievably stiff," Ichika commented, "Why don't I give you a massage in my room?"

"Uh-really?!" Cecilia exclaimed, "You...you'd be willing?!..."

"Hey, I did it for Rin and Houki," Ichika scratched his neck, "I don't see the problem with giving you one as well."

"Oh... I..." Cecilia stuttered before calming herself down, "I'd be mad to not accept such an offer."

"How about me?" Kiyoka jumped in, "Can I get a-"

"Not you, Kiyoka," Ichika flatly rejected her, "You or Sayuka."

"What?! But why?!"

"Because you still haven't apologized," Ichika grabbed Cecilia and Charlotte's hands, "Now leave my sight," and ironically left her sight.

"Ichika, I think you were a bit harsh on her," Charlotte muttered, "Are you sure you need to continue putting up a front on Lincoln?"

"It's not him," Ichika answered, "They used me as a pawn in a game-bet, actually. Either way, I don't appreciate it."

"But-But it's virtually in their nature to pull stunts like that!" Cecilia stammered, "It was all in good fun!"

"But I'm a guy," Ichika said, "Things that seem like fun to them are just plain wrong to me."

"Well...ok, if you say so..." Charlotte wasn't sure if she understood what he meant, but she had to go along with it.

"Fine!" Kiyoka stomped, "See if I care! I got some good friends who won't take your crap for an answer!" So she said, but as soon as she turned around-

"You're still doing that?"

"Ah, Houki!" Kiyoka grabbed her arm, "Hey, I saw a shop a couple blocks that way! Whaddaya say we-"

"No thanks," Houki yanked her hand back and walked away.

Then, Kiyoka looked around and saw other students walking past her, actively avoiding eye contact. This, she couldn't stand, "What's wrong with you?! Why are you getting so worked up over one little incident?!"

"A little incident that spurred into a great big lie," another student said, "Lincoln's probably thinking about pulling out of the Academy."

"Well, that's a good thing, isn't it?!"

"No, it's not," Kaoruko flatly pointed her finger at her, "because he's the most prolific minor in his home country. He's going to tell everybody who's been trying to do him in. And then, you'll be the one they pin this on!"

"I just did what had to be done! He had no business butting in that agreement!"

"Well, would you agree on this headline? Vicious Group of Teenagers Bully 12-year-old Out of IS Academy!"

"Bully?!" Kiyoka felt offended, "That's what you think I did?!"

"What else do you call spreading rumors and calling names and getting in his face yelling at him what he did?!"

"Wha...I...that's ridiculous!" Kiyoka stammered, "That's not how it went down, right Hana?"

Hana emerged from the nearby store, grim-faced and not at all pleased how Kiyoka's refusal to admit any wrongdoing.

"Right, Hana?" Kiyoka repeated, to no answer, "Say something!"

Hana pointed her finger at Kiyoka, "It wasn't just Lincoln. You tried to harass me as well."

Kiyoka locked up.

"And not only that," Hana continued, "You're gonna withdraw just to show him up and beat him at a game he doesn't wanna play!"

That's when it happened. That's when she heard it. Whispers of the people around her, rumors starting to spread. Some speculated as to what drove Kiyoka so far to lash out at the Academy. Some speculated whether or not Lincoln knew about her revenge scheme. Some speculated whether the bad luck brouhaha had gone too far. Others speculated if Kiyoka really did consider withdrawing before Lincoln just to spite him and spins the story before he could even tell it.

One thing was for certain: everyone started to question Kiyoka's presence. The students quickly dispersed and left Kiyoka alone to face the empty darkness. Hana quickly went to the shrine.

Meanwhile in a hotel room, Charlotte _really _went along with it while getting her shoulders massaged, "Ohhhhhhhhhhhh...if you say so, Ichika..."

"Can you please control that voice of yours?..." Ichika was trying to focus on her back, which only made it more awkward for him, "You're, um...you're giving me ideas..."

"How could he not?" Cecilia stretched her shoulders feeling mighty refreshed, "Don't you feel like flying away on a magical cloud after a semester's worth of stress has been lifted away from you?..."

"I thought I was pushing them deep inside you."

"What?" Cecilia got angry he ruined the moment.

"Is that a "made it gross" or a "made things worse" moment?" Charlotte asked.

Outside, Laura was staying on assignment, investigating a nearby souvenir shop for anything worthwhile, when she was approached by Sayuka. She barely bat an eye at her, "What do you want?"

"Just wanted to talk," Sayuka said.

"Talk you say... you still want dirt on Lincoln Loud, do you not?"

"I didn't say that!"

"You were thinking it," Laura said as she scanned a wooden Shirokishi figurine, "I know the looks those other people give you. I know how Ichika and the others actively avoid you. You hate Loud for causing this, completely disregarding the fact that it was your own mouth that prompted Mentor to bring down judgement upon you."

"What's with you?!" Sayuka growled, "You act like he's a savior or something!"

"He saved me from myself... and he saved the harem from certain destruction."

"You...you don't know what you're talking about! That pipsqueak is the one at fault here! He's been-"

"Say one word, and it'll be your last."

"You gotta make me!" Sayuka said, "I'm not gonna stand by and watch my friends take any more crap!"

"Fine..." Laura shook her head and drew her twin arm sabers, "...but make it quick."

"Oh no...no no no no..." Sayuka didn't think Laura would actually take her up on that offer, "You're not gonna gonna get to me this time..." she stepped back as Laura withdrew her sabers.

"Then, do not approach me again," Laura said as she walked past Sayuka and went back into the open night.

Sayuka looked back in fear as Laura walked past the still lingering students who stared back at Sayuka with disdain. She knew it deep down in her heart that she and Kiyoka purposefully twisted Houki's challenge to Ichika way out of proportion to suit her needs, thereby taking advantage of the overwhelming curiosity of the rest of the female student body. That lie turned out to be much bigger than she anticipated, and it caused the target of her affections to have to defend himself against everyone that knew. She just brushed it off and went back to the hotel to find Kiyoka.

Laura herself had walked all the way to the mountain's shrine, where Rin and Hana were praying.

Well, mostly Rin, "Please give me a chance to impress Ichika...Please give me a chance to impress someone...preferably Ichika-"

"Why him?"

"WAHAHAAAA!" Rin and Hana jolted upward and clung to an extremely high pillar.

"Oh, there's no need to be alarmed," Laura said.

"Oh, I totally wasn't alarmed at you POPPING UP AND SCARING ME LIKE THAT!" Rin snapped.

"How fragile you must be, then," Laura walked up to the box while Rin and Hana hopped down.

"What are you even doing here, anyway?" Hana asked.

"Just...just praying," Rin blushed a little.

"For what?"

"For...for NUNYA! What are you doing here?"

"I'm here to confirm the rumor that Mentor assigned," Laura answered, "There's no other purpose for us being here, is there?"

"Wait, that wasn't a joke?" Rin pointed back and forth, "That's a 'for real' assignment that we have to do to satisfy Miss Orimura's insane carnal desires?"

"When have you even known Mentor to be joking?"

"How about a couple hours ago when she was blabbing about nuking our rivals and programs and such?"

"Miss Orimura really said that?..." Hana flinched.

"That's your business," Laura paid no mind to that random tidbit and just walked to the shrine's donation box.

"Eh...you do you..." Rin shrugged and ran back to the hotel.

"So..." Hana asked Laura, "Are you here to make a wish?"

Laura thought for a second, "No, but...might as well." She and Hana walked up to the shrine together, "You know as well?"

"Yeah. Told me right after."

Laura and Hana inspected the shrine and made sure no one was around to listen or peek on their next action. They each took out a small coin and whispered, "Keep him safe," and then dropped them in the box.

And High Card felt that, "Did you hear that?"

"Mmm...Hear what?" Kim asked after waking up.

"Just a whisper..." High Card wondered, "Sounded like a...prayer or something..."

"I think you're phone's busted, dude," Night Club said while entertaining the crew with her guitar, "Might be time for an upgrade."

High Card checked her phone and saw a text notification:

UNKNOWN NUMBER: Keep him safe.

High Card shook her head, "I'm gonna find Ace," and ran. She found Lincoln in the cockpit next to the pilot, staring out into the dawning horizon, "Ace?" She spoke softly, "You doing ok?"

"I think so..." Lincoln answered.

"Oh, there's a seat behind him if you want," the pilot directed High Card to the foldout seat behind Lincoln.

"Oh, thanks..." High Card didn't bother and just sat on the floor, "Um...how long has he been here?"

"Since Miss Kim called for a rest period," the pilot answered, "Hasn't slept since."

"What're You doing in the danger zone?" Lincoln asked.

"Two things," High Card answered, "One: I literally need a new phone...another one."

"Uh...sure..."

"Two...What's going through your mind?"

"Well..." Lincoln sighed, "A lot. I can't help but wonder what my room looks after like three months."

"Oh right...It still has an occupant..."

"I can't get my mind straight whenever my spotlight's on her. Is she sorry? Did she really fake it? What did she tell everyone? What did she do to my room?" Lincoln slumped, "Questions I don't think I'll like their answers to."

"Come on, you're being too pessimistic," High Card said, "Just store it all in a mental compartment until you actually get to your room."

"That's just it. My whole family's going out of town for the week."

"Oh, right. Shame I can't get to meet Lori," High Card started fantasizing, "The way you describe her, she's a real piece of work."

"You wouldn't want to meet her," Lincoln capitalized on the opportunity to take his mind off the coming struggle, "She can drive you insane just with her verbal flubs."

Suddenly, Strong Suit poked her head in, "Someone say flub?"

"Yep," High Card responded, "You know that one word that always gets under your skin because they can't stop saying it?"

"Oh, I hear you!" Night Club shouted and started-

_"100 literallys on the wall, 100 literallys. Burn one down, pound to the ground, 99 literallys on the wall. 99 literallys ~~~"_

-that. She got everyone else in on the fun and led a singalong to pass the time. At first, they were all in on the joke, but then they got sick of it 15-30-what felt like a lot of minutes later...

_"ONE LITERALLY ON THE WALL...ONE LITERALLY...BURN IT DOWN, POUND TO THE GROUND...NOW CAN WE ALL JUST SHUT THE-"_

-BEEP!-

_"-UP..."_

-BEEP!-BEEP!-BEEP!-

"What's that beeping?" Akina asked.

"We've entered the United States airspace," the pilot said, "Everyone please find a seat to buckle up in."

"You heard the woman!" Lincoln shouted, "Batten down the hatches!"

Akina and Kim grabbed Lincoln and buckled them all in a large seat. High Card sat beside the pilot while Strong Suit and Night Club took the exit seats.

"Oh man, this is really happening..." Lincoln whispered.

"I know, right?!" Strong Suit repeatedly pumped her fists, "I'm excited too!"

"I'm not," Kim said, "We could die, you know?"

"Then, how the hell is this your final exam?!" Akina snapped, "This is completely backwards!"

"Quiet please," the pilot clicked two switches and opened a channel to the command center, "This is flight P 1-1-3 requesting landing in DTW private terminal."

Ten seconds later, command center responded, "Savvy Suite IS signature confirmed. You are clear for touchdown on runway 2A."

The plane flew over the coastline and descended just enough where the group could see the American landscape span over the horizon. For Akina and Kim, this was a sight to behold, as they were able to get a glimpse of the variety of landmarks that made America famous. But for Lincoln, this was an enlightening experience because he got to see what he missed out on during his younger years. He couldn't go anywhere due to the massive workload his parents undertook to raise a growing family; everything was local. He wondered what his home would feel like after spending a few months in another country.

"Been a while..." he whispered.

"Not for me," Night Club piped, "I can't wait to confuse people with my likeness!"

"Except we can't," High Card said, "Remember, we can't be seen by anyone."

"BOOOOOOOO!"

"Lincoln, can you call them back into your IS?" Kim asked.

"Nope..." Lincoln said, "Miss Yamada have my IS an update...They can't go back unless they've been defeated..."

"Ok, I'm calling it," Akina muttered, "We are definitely gonna die..."

Soon, they felt the plane going into a deeper descent. It wasn't long before Lincoln saw that all-too-familiar Detroit skyline getting bigger and bigger, until he saw his house.

He was finally back home.

Moments after they landed and gathered their belongings, they were greeted by a limousine right outside the plane.

The female limo driver asked, "Kim Ha-Jin, party of six?"

"Uh..." Kim checked the group and wondered why Lincoln's sidekicks haven't fizzled out of existence yet, "Yeah...sure, six..."

"Then, please board the limo," the driver opened the door, "We don't have much time."

When everyone got in, the limo was off, taking the long way home to avoid any detection by the populace. It was a marvelous tour of the city for everyone except Lincoln, who felt like he just boarded a massive trip down Memory Lane. In fact, the limo's route of choice was Memory Lane. Every road it traveled down had some kind of landmark that triggered a vivid memory of Lincoln actually enjoying himself. They drove by the very first swimming pool he was banned from, the DMV where Leni comically failed her driving tests, Scratchy Bottom Campgrounds, etc.

But the two most painful drive bys were Dairyland Amoosement Park and Franklin Avenue. Dairyland had the highest number of amazing moments in his life; he couldn't recall how many friends he's invited, but they were all atop the Milk Shaker for him to not enjoy for the week. But his home street had the two best rides ever, and they were both with Lynn...

Kim nudged him, "So, you see anything you like?"

"Nah," Lincoln responded, "Just places. That's all."

"And memories, I bet."

"Yep...this is the street where Lynn took me on my first bike ride. was so jumpy, yelling out 'Faster! Go faster!' all the dang time."

"I imagine. The wind in your hair, the cool crispness on your pits..."

Lincoln nodded, "I'll say...but taking everything into context...that ride must've happened shortly after I...took a hit for her..." his hand was curled into a fist, "Makes it all the more painful..."

"It's fine," Kim massaged his hand, "I'm sure your family holds you in high regard."

"Probably," Lincoln shrugged, "But I'll never know..."

"Uh, guys? Get down?" Akina suddenly ruined the mood by pointing to the road ahead of them, which for some reason held two crowds on both sidewalks.

"Geez!" Kim and Lincoln ducked.

The limo drove by Royal Woods Stadium, which was jam packed with supporters of Royal Woods and Hazeltucky. The mood was high volatile energy, stepping out an infecting everyone nearby with a sense of superiority. They're screaming for one side to dominate the other. It didn't help that it was the yearly Turkey Bowl, a chance for Hazeltucky to get back at Royal Woods for robbing them of the championship.

"When were things so icky and dicky?" Night Club peeked our the window.

"There was a war sparked by Lynn and Luna's confrontation with Janice and Jupiter," Lincoln whispered, "Long story short, J and J hate that I'm a pilot, so they went to get dirt on me. My sisters tried to stop them, and things escalated to a WHY degree..."

"Is this what war looks like?" Kim peered our while the limo trudged on through the massive crowds.

The stadium was the worst offender of the war front, but it was just the first. The conflict spanned all of southeast Michigan. Anywhere there's a park, there's a banner showing support to either city. Anywhere there's a shop, there's a huge set of posters requiring city-based ID for discounts. Anywhere there's people, there's talk of the local hero, good and bad. Anywhere there's a venue for _anything..._there's always a competition.

"So many battles..." Kim's head was spinning.

"If this is how it is all over the region..." High Card whispered.

"...nope, I can't," Lincoln shook his head, "I don't wanna think about the home front..."

"I do," Strong Suit couldn't stop staring, "The nightlife must be buzzing around with all sorts of fun and games."

"Of course you'd go there..." Akina slapped her forehead.

"Ok, everyone, we're approaching your destination," the limo driver said, "Please gather your belongings and exit quickly." She drove the limo to a hotel's rear entrance.

"Thanks for driving us, ma'am," Kim said.

"No problem," the driver stopped at the rear door, "Please enjoy your stay."

Everyone got out and huddled around the rear door without being seen. High Card used her phone to hack the security lock and get the group inside. Then, she checked her notifications, "Ok, according to this strangely coded email, we have two rooms on the top floor that are flagged down by two attendants. We just need to find them in the lobby."

"Sounds fishy," Akina said, "I mean, if those field agents can find these Phantom Task guys, why can't they take care of this mess?"

"Probably because ISs are so hard to come by that they'll scrape up anything they can get?" Strong Suit smirked.

"Did you consider the logistics of procuring an IS in the first place?" Kim asked, "Only the most advanced countries can even obtain a core for their ISs."

"Exactly my point," Akina gloated, "I have a couple ideas for anti-IS tech right here in my noggin."

Suddenly, a surprise figure emerged from behind, "Why do we have to know?"

Everybody "**AAAAAAAAAA!**"

"Hey, Hey! Take it easy!"

"Wha...huh..." it took a moment for Lincoln to recognize the figure, "Akane?"

"Hm?...Well, color me surprised!" Akane chuckled, "Candidate Loud!"

"Haha, it's not Candidate anymore," Lincoln sheepishly said.

"Yeah, I can see that," Akane stared at the other five party members, "So, you all must be the envoy sent by Miss Orimura. I'm Akane Hotara."

"Pleasure meeting you," Kim shook her hand, "I'm the designated group leader."

While Kim and Akane made pleasant small talk, Akina whispered, "Uh, Lincoln? Do you know this woman?"

"She was my practical exam proctor," he responded.

"Are we gonna see more blasts from your past?..."

"This entire mission is one giant-"

"Ahem," Akane cleared her throat and got everyone's attention, "We have your rooms ready. Everyone follow me."

The group followed Akane to the top floor, and Lincoln smacked himself in disbelief. Not only were the rooms the exact same rooms that he visited before his entrance exam, but they were guarded by another familiar face, "Oh...hello, Miss Tachibana..."

"Oh?" Tomoya turned in Lincoln's direction, "Long time no see, Lincoln!"

"Yeah...Really long time..." Lincoln could feel Akina's leering gaze burning his neck.

Tomoya turned to Kim and High Card, "And you must be his babysitters for the week."

"It definitely feels like we are, doesn't it?" Kim nudged.

"More like, Akina and Night," High Card joked, "Middle schoolers tend to have more matirurity than high schoolers."

"Excuse me?" Night Club and Akina hovered over her shoulders.

"Anyway!" Lincoln called them back to the moment, "Are we gonna settle down for the night?"

"For an hour," Tomoya said, "Then, we're going straight to AAdsz."

"Already?"

"AAdsz has been in correspondence with a lot of officials around the nation."

"Whoa..." Lincoln found it hard to believe given the snarky emails he received from this AAdsz person throughout the semester.

Akane clapped her hands, "Ok, everyone take a moment to settle in your assigned rooms. We'll call you when it's time to go."

Everyone went inside the adjoined rooms and relaxed...but not really. The atmosphere was filled with all sorts of nervous energy, most of it from Akina and Strong Suit geeking out about their first mission.

"I cannot believe it!" Akina giggled, "I'm about to go in something way more exciting than those samurai stilts!"

"And I'm about to get me a slice of the war!" Strong Suit jumped, "Who shall be the first to taste my-" materialize a barbell "-BOJUTSU OF JUSTICE?!?!"

"Suit, no!" Kim tackled her to the bed, "For crying out loud, we are trying to prevent one!"

"Boo," Strong Suit gave him a thumbs down, "You suck."

"What are you doing?" Kim picked her up, "This isn't a playhouse, you know."

"So," Lincoln asked Tomoya, "Are we setting up homebase here?"

"One group is," Tomoya said, "The other will follow your family to the apartment where the Casagrandes live, and spy on them."

"Eugh..." Lincoln retched, "I rather lick the bathroom..."

_("...floor than kiss that weirdo.")_

Lincoln caught himself on the cusp of finishing that thought, "Why did I just say that?... I don't know what would make me say that..."

"Do you need a minute?" Tomoya was worried about his state of mind.

"No, of course not!" Lincoln said, "I'm ready to go whenever!"

"Ok... but let me know if you feel overwhelmed, ok?" Akina patted his head.

"Right...I know. I just need to know that I'm in the moment."

"Past creeping up on you?"

"You have no idea..." Lincoln stared back at the other party members sharing a big laugh and shooting a breeze with each other, half of whom still haven't fizzled out of existence yet and have resorted to acting like his non-superhero counterparts to a tee, "Man, I don't know what went into my core to personalize my IS..."

"The core's a mystery except to Tabane Shinonono," Tomoya said, "For all we know, those IS cores might as well be magic orbs of scientific magical science."

He watched them delve into gossip mode for a few minutes wondering what his life would be like if he and his sisters toned down the selfishness just a little bit, "Magic...right..."

Just then, High Card's phone lit up a notification:

**Get your sorry butts down here. I'm not gonna wait in the sewage plant any longer.**

**-AAdsz**

"You're joking..." High Card groaned.

"Guys, it's AAdsz." Akane said, "It's time. We have to go meet him in the sewage plant."

The girls went "Eeeewwwwwwwww..."

"Why the sewers?" Night Club cringed.

"Who wants to bathe in poop and gourdens?..." Kim shivered.

"Not what I meant by 'getting my hands dirty' at all..." Strong Suit groaned.

"We don't have a choice," Kim said, "Everyone get ready."

The group begrudgingly traveled to the back door of the sewage plant where AAdsz was located.

"Oh god, this is really happening," Lincoln muttered.

"I'll say," Akina groaned, "I could just smell Xdef's rancid breath from here..."

"Well, I got bad news for you," High Card looked at her phone, "This gigantic complex is only a quarter of it."

"Oh god, why?..."

"Stay here," Akane went to the door and put in a code to call for its attendant, "Arizona advertising? We have a deal with the big shot."

A distorted voice called through the mike, "Sure, sure. Coming up." The door suddenly opened. Akane stepped back to allow this AAdsz person to show himself.

And show himself, he did. As soon as he stepped into the light, he pocketed his hands and his red hair and green sleeves were on display for everyone to see, "'Sup, Larry."

Lincoln's eyes widened, "Wait...CHANDLER?!"


	31. Mission Start! Protect the Loud House!

The group ventured through the gigantic odorous complex and went down multiple hallways and dark spacious areas. Lincoln had just discovered that the slightly rude contact who had given him advice on how to survive the semester was Chandler McCann, whom he had uneasy thoughts about, "You're AAdsz?! How's that possible?! I don't get it!"

"Just rearrange the letters in my code name," Chandler said, "It's not hard, even for you."

Lincoln didn't take too kindly to that remark until his mind played the connections game again (Chandler, Az — McCann Ads company), "Oh, dangit..."

"You didn't know?" Strong Suit smirked, "Come on, even I figured it out."

"Get off me..."

"Can you still not control your One-Off Ability?" Kim asked.

"*GULP*" Lincoln and Strong Suit shivered at the c-word, "Control?..."

"He'll learn all about it later on," Chandler pressed a red button to reveal a hidden elevator in the wall, "For now, everyone down."

"Really?..." Akina flinched, "We're gonna go deeper into the gutter?..."

"Actually, we're in the gutter right now," Tomoya said, "This elevator will take us out of it."

"Getting out by going down?..." Night Club squinted, "Ok, what exactly is down there?"

"We're gonna find out..." Kim said as everyone entered the elevator. Once the doors closed, the foul odor was gone, and a fresher metallic scent permeated through the walls.

Night Club took one big whiff, "Ok, no seriously, what's down there?!" At that instant, the elevator started its descent.

For a good ten seconds, the group stared out at the window looking at concrete walls wondering where the vessel led. Then, out of nowhere, the elevator stopped and shifted right. And that's when a brand new view was revealed to them. A glossy mechanical world much brighter and bigger than the sewage plant they explored was opened to them, a world that could incite jealousy from its competitors and slight acknowledgement from the Creator. This was a processing, manufacturing, researching, and testing facility all in one. They saw training models being developed, cores being analyzed, and full-on simulations and test flights being run in controlled and variable environments.

And that was just on the way to the lobby. When the cubby landed, the door opened a huge room that served as the main entry point to the factory, and his own personal central hub. If it weren't for the receptionist area and the many shuttle ways, this lobby would be similar to a luxurious studio apartment.

Akane and Tomoya stepped out and went to the door behind the receptionist area. The others were left on the greeting rug, "Holy shamoley..."

"I know," Chandler said, "An underground paradise? With restrictions."

Lincoln wandered around the studio room before approaching Chandler, "So...that part about your father working at the sewage plant..."

"A coverup," Chandler grinned as another giant door whirred open, "This is his real job." And it went away just as quickly.

Because his father walked past him with five other professionals, "I don't have time to worry about another runaway IS! I have to green light an experiment with a prototype core!"

"But, Mr. McCann! If that IS gets loose, it could destroy the entire facility! There won't be a core to develop!"

"My son is on his way with that boy Loud! They can deactivate the IS anytime! But the core cannot-"

"Dad!" Chandler shouted.

"Huh?" His father turned around, "Oh. Oh, Chandler! You got the-"

"Mr. McCann, please be reasonable!" The woman persisted.

"Absolutely not!" The father snapped, then turned to Chandler, "I'll be by in a few, son. Till then, don't mess anything up," and then he went back to the factory interior.

Lincoln blinked as if he missed several things, "That was...fast..." he said to Chandler, "Does that happen often?..."

"Uh-Huh," Chandler didn't look at him and just opened the door to his room, "That's what happens when you work for the government. You're always busy, always having to worry about something. Three-hundred grand a year, and for what?"

Lincoln followed Chandler into the bedroom, "Gee.. I didn't know..."

"It ain't the first time I kept a secret from someone."

"You mean...wow, not even your friends?" Lincoln sat down in the bean bag next to Chandler's.

"Exactly," Chandler plopped down on his bean bag and tossed Lincoln a controller, "My father actually was a sewage plant worker, but it wasn't enough money. Strange thing was that my mom was the needy freeloader. All she did was complain and complain, about how we can't buy luxury items, and how he's spending "too much time with me"-I never got that. He did everything for her, and she just-PBBTTT! Ain't enough," he explained until a fighting game was uploaded, then he and Lincoln got to battling.

"So, what happened?" Lincoln asked while playing.

"One day, my dad applied to the government for help," Chandler said, "Turns out he knew a lot more than people thought, so they made him into an IS contractor. We started getting money all over the place. We started hosting parties, acting cool and stuff... but then my dad was being kept up by constant phone calls, and mom kept going about how his time just disappeared."

"Did your mom try to do anything?"

"Hahah, what do you think?"

"Ah...figured."

"Well...actually she did do one thing. She filed for divorce. Funny thing is, she didn't receive a goddamn thing, so she just left."

"Geez...did things improve between you and your father?"

"Nope. The reason why you see me holding so many parties up there...my dad's getting pounded with IS crap down here. Here I am trying to fill the void with money. I used my stuff to be fake friends with Richie and Trent..." KO! PLAYER ONE WINS! "...until one day they became my real friends. Don't know how that works."

"Me neither...time?" Lincoln restarted the fight.

"I guess..." Chandler played one more battle.

"So, where do I fit in? Why did you give me advice? And that expansion pack?"

"Dunno. Maybe because we're in similar boats? I'm trying to get a good support group, and you're trying to get away from yours?"

"I wouldn't call it that. More like...upgrading them?..."

"Wow...the hell'd you pull that off?"

"Dunno. I was being...I was not being myself, to put it very bluntly."

"Oh, yeah. I heard how you caused political correctness in the student body."

"No, that ain't it."

"Open doors to all non-Japanese. When does that ever happen?"

"It rarely does. I'd like to see what the "fate of their future" looks like."

"'The fate of our future is...' worded in a way that makes the Oddbods sound like scholars."

"Gag," KO! PLAYER TWO WINS!, "I didn't think we'd carry a conversation like this."

"Me neither."

"Say...what'd you when people asked you about me?"

"I just told them off. I was rude, big whoop."

"Rude? Why?"

"Because you're a pilot, who goes to the same school as me. If I start being nice to you, they'll keep asking questions and start snooping around both our places, and some very shady people will start sniffing around until they find leverage to spill our secrets...or worse, kill off the only family we know."

"Geez..."

"I know...I know, but I can't do nothing. So, here I am, freeloading wherever I can go for IS intel, while getting crapped on for freeloading."

"Wow...you're taking heat as well..."

"I've had to deal with you for a year and a half now," Chandler smirked, "I would've learned something."

Lincoln threw a snarky look at him, "And what's that supposed to mean?"

"Exactly what it means, Larry!" Chandler stuffed a pillow in Lincoln's face and initiated a pillow fight.

Right when Akane and Tomoya opened the door, "Excuse me, Chandler? Lincoln?"

"Wuzzat?" The boys froze in a double grapple.

"Um..." Tomoya tried not to smile while Akane lost it, "What are you-"

"We're just wrestling!" Lincoln quickly said, "Nothing out of the ordinary, just wrestling."

"Says you," Chandler flipped him over on the bean bag.

"Oof!" Lincoln fluffed, "Where's everyone else?"

"They've already filled their need to explore," Akane recovered from her laughing fit, "They're waiting for you two in the boardroom."

The two walked through the facility entrance and took the door on the left to enter the boardroom, where the rest of the party had been assembled.

"Where were you two yahoos?!" High Card was waiting for them behind the door, "We literally spent ten minutes on cringeworthy icebreakers waiting for you!"

"My bad," Chandler instinctively went to his public persona, "I was just making-"

"Never mind that, come here!" High Card dragged them both to the front and sat them in the front, then turned to a German soldier standing near the projector, "We're ready, Miss Harfouch."

Night Club and Alina snickered, "Harfwuh?..."

"Good," the soldier stepped forward.

Lincoln noticed that the soldier had the exact same eyepatch as Laura, "Say, are you related to Laura Bodewig in any way?"

The soldier nodded, "I am her second-in-command. My name is Clarissa Harfouch, and I have been assigned to assist you in this mission."

Strong Suit slammed her hands on the table, "I told you! I told you! One of them figured it out! She's going to blab to somebody! It's only a matter of time!"

And the rest of the party drew concern. "Akina," Kim groaned, "did you tell someone?"

"No way!" Akina shouted, "Laura's the crafty one! She's got the IQ and street smarts of Batman!"

"Everyone settle down," Clarissa said, "This remains a confidential matter between the Black Hair Corps and Royal Woods Manufacturing. No one outside this room knows."

Is what Clarissa said in the crisp cool evening of Michigan, but in the welcoming brisk breeze of the Japanese morning...

"HE **WHAT**?!" Cecilia and Rin lost their minds when Laura and Hana relayed the news.

Hana quickly scanned the immediate environment for any possible signs of the Brunhilde.

"He wasn't being kept behind due to a faulty permission system," Laura reiterated, "He was called away to defend his home."

"Just like a superhero..." Rin whimpered.

"If any of this is true, then what are we still doing here?!" Cecilia whispered.

"Most likely, we are the last line of defense in the event that Loud fails to subdue Phantom Task," Laura guess, right when Hana approached her.

"No Orimura..." Hana panted, "but there are three teachers hot on our tail..."

"We must go," Laura grabbed Hana and ran, leaving Cecilia and Rin alone.

"Ok...what are we supposed to do now?..." Rin asked, "It's not like those PT guys will just show up randomly, right?"

"We must alert Ichika at once," Cecilia said, "As we are now, our small group of elite pilots are the only ones who can bring them down."

"It's just one IS," Rin shrugged, "How much damage can it really do?"

"That kind of misplaced reassurance will get you in massive trouble," Cecilia said, "in case the last few instances didn't click already."

"Oh yeah?! Well, I could do without your snooty snoots!"

"Try to grow up a little bit in your mentality...and a lot in your-"

"DON'T. YOU. DARE."

Houki and Charlotte were hanging out with Ichika by the Shiraito Falls, admiring the majesty of the ever flowing crystal clear water, when their peace was interrupted by

Cecilia, "Can't you learn to take a joke in stride?!"

And Rin, "I'LL TURN YOU INTO A FLATBOARD STRIDE RIGHT NOW!"

fully deployed in a wild goose chase.

Ichika shook his head, "I gotta do something about that hotheadedness..."

"I don't think you can reason with that kind of gloating," Houki said.

"Aren't you a bit reckless yourself?" Charlotte asked, to which she received a cold shoulder.

"Houkiiiiiii?" Ichika cooed, "What's on your miiiind-"

"It's nothing!" Houki shook him off and stormed out.

"What could be troubling her to make her lash out?" Charles wondered.

"Maybe it's her sister?" Ichika said, "Tabane missed out on Houki's 16th birthday..."

"Oh, that would cause a problem..."

A big problem. When Houki crushed her phone, Tabane sent a text message shortly after:

**Hey to you, little sis! Yeah, yeah, I already know why you called earlier. You want one, don't you? Your own personal unit! Of course I have one ready. It's overspec'd with high-end capabilities. It'll stand toe to toe with the Byaku. Mhmm, this unit is known as...AKATSUBAKI!**

**-Tabunny**

"Akatsubaki...like hell I'd believe that hogwash..." Houki has been thinking on that for quite some time. This was her opportunity to obtain her very own personal IS, but it was provided by someone who wasn't very well versed in the ways of giving. Or visiting. She didn't know how to feel overall. For now, she would simply keep silent until Tabane herself came to her. Until then, "Ok...where was that entrance to the...you know..."

Back in Royal Woods, Clarissa and Akane had already gone over the layout of the mission and the Loud family's expected departure time.

"Now, for the hard part," Clarissa said, "We must split up into two groups: one to track the Louds, and one to defend this facility."

"I'll do it," Lincoln quickly said, catching the attention of Kim, Night Club, and Chandler, "I'll stay behind to watch Margo."

"Really?" Night Club raised an eyebrow, "I thought you wanted to whole lotta love with Ronnie Anne."

"I do, but..." Lincoln was cut off by Chandler.

"Dude, it's just a superstition. Get over it," Chandler said, "If you're still worried about that squirrel costume thing, then just go to Great Lakes."

"I can't..."

"Why not?..."

"Chandler, please," Kim eased Chandler off, "It's his choice."

Chandler nodded, "Fine. If he wants to be a sour stick about it..." he turned to High Card, "then that means your group will stay behind as well?"

"Yes," High Card nodded, "and we'll make sure he doesn't go overboard with emotional constipation," to the amusement of Strong Suit and Clarissa.

"I'll be perfectly fine," Lincoln said, "I won't dwell on the past."

"But you will dwell on the present," Strong Suit earned a high-five from Akina.

"Guys...uy," Lincoln rolled his eyes.

"So, does that mean Kim and Akina will travel to northern Ohio?" Tomoya asked.

"I suppose so," Kim said.

"So, who will be our mission support?" Akina asked.

Akane patted Akina's shoulder, "Me and Tomoya already secured an apartment right next to the Casagrandes. We will provide you as much support as we can."

"I'll keep eyeing Hazeltucky to see what else goes down," Chandler said.

"I'll provide Lincoln with tactical support should things get out of hand," Clarissa said, to which Lincoln nodded in hesitation.

"So, we're all in agreement, then?" Chandler asked, and everyone nodded, "Kim. Akina. Follow me to your ISs." He stood up and led the team to the holding area, where Akina's Rafael Revive Basic and Kim's Heaven's Dusk awaited them, "Got these babies in this morning. France's mass-produced unit is an all-rounder, but South Korea's key player is a long-ranger."

Kim and Akina stood in front of their assigned personal units, staring in awe of their potential energy.

"It's like it was waiting for me," Kim placed her hand on the Dusk and felt a warmth radiating from the surface, "It's already prepared itself for the coming struggle."

"I'm already prepared!" Akina hopped in the cockpit, "I can't wait to give this baby a spin!"

"Hey, dolt knob," Chandler poked her head, "You're trying to prevent a fight, not start one."

"Ok, you two!" A technician shouted while connecting her keyboard near some monitors, "I'm gonna start fitting and formatting the ISs, so get inside and don't move!" Kim and Akina fitted themselves inside while Lincoln watched.

"This is really happening..." Lincoln breathed, "We're about to go into battle..."

"Scary, I know, but you'll get through it," Chandler reassured him, "You've been through worse, right?"

"Right..." Lincoln said when the formatting process was completed.

"Formatting completed," a staff member said, "Now both of you call back your units, then call them out."

"Better stand back for this..." Strong Suit moves the group away from Kim and Akina.

Kim and Akina took a deep breath and closed their eyes, "Hhhhhh...come back to me." On command, the ISs retracted and took the form of a green collar around Akina's neck, and a small ring around Kim's finger. Their eyes still closed, they issued a second command,

"SUMMON THEE RAFAEL!"

"천국의 황혼 이오! (COME HITHER, HEAVEN'S DUSK!)"

The ISs suddenly enveloped them in a brilliant light. Two seconds later, Kim and Akina has emerged from the light, fully deployed and ready to battle. At least, Akina did; Kim emerged from the light looking like a royal empress from a long-forgotten golden age.

"Fitting and formatting have been finalized," Akane said, "Those IS now belong to them."

"If only..." Akina slumped, "I just realized that I have to give it back by next week..."

"Think about it like this," Tomoya tried to encourage her, "You'll be an entire lap ahead of your peers back home."

"Back home..." and Lincoln was getting tired of the callbacks.

Once the fitting was finished, the participating members regrouped at the lobby.

"So, it's settled," Chandler said, "The Loud team will watch Royal Woods, and the Kim team will go to GLC. We'll all meet back here the day before you have to leave."

"What about Clarissa?" Akina asked, "She wasn't supposed to know."

"I won't leak anything out to the public," Clarissa said.

"Unless LaBo broadcasted it out already..." Night Club whispered.

"We are so gonna fail!" Akina threw her hands up.

"I'm sorry," Kim stuck a snarky grin in her ear, "Who's going to fail again?"

"Get off me..."

Lincoln was mentally preparing himself for the coming struggle, "You sure I can't crash here for the night?"

"No can do," Chandler gave Lincoln some energy cells, "Like I said, I have to keep being a jerk to you, otherwise they're gonna use me to get to you."

"But no one knows," Lincoln stuffed the cells in his bag, "What's the harm of two enemies becoming friendly rivals?"

"Trust me: Phantom Task doesn't see friends, only assets. And right now, Margo's an asset to them," Chandler activated the elevator to send the group directly to the surface, "You just need to make them see her as a friend."

"Easier dome than said," Lincoln noticed them both cringing at the thought.

"Ok, team," Akane motioned everyone to go to the lift, "We're going back to the hotel to assign posts."

"Right-o!" Strong Suit fist-pumped, "Who's ready for a beat down?!"

"What will it take to suppress your impulses?" Tomoya asked.

"Nothing at all!" Strong Suit proudly proclaimed, "I do what I want!"

Lincoln was the last to board the lift. He looked back at Chandler, "So, I guess I won't be seeing you around anymore?"

Chandler returned to his old demeanor and brushed them off, but not before saying very loudly, "Whatever, Lincoln."

"Huh?" Lincoln heard it, "You just said my-OOF!" Right when the elevator door shut. He was cut off from his guiding red and forced out of the facility. He witnessed the entire facility wrapping up operations and slowly going dark before the elevator was sent back to the entrance of the sewage plant, "Well...now, I've seen almost everything..."

The group returned to the hotel and separated into two teams, where they went through the schematics of the mission for a good hour before they declared bedtime. While Kim's team was sleeping away in another room, Lincoln's team was still wide awake. Against Lincoln and High Card's orders, Strong Suit and Night Club went for a night around town, while they stayed back in their room.

"So, Clarissa's going to be our mission operator..." High Card commented while tapping away at her phone, "That's a first."

"I'll say," Lincoln was standing on the balcony overlooking the entirety of Royal Woods, "And right after Chandler scarred his code name into my brain..."

"That was very twisty," High Card got up and walked to the railing, "Well, I better make sure Night and Suit don't blow the world up before Phantom Task does..." and leaped off.

"Yow! Hey, don't-" Lincoln saw High Card use her fuzzy dice as a stringed grabbed to swing on multiple extended poles and soften her landing. "Huh...I didn't know Lori could do that..."

All of a sudden, that girly voice: "I didn't know any of your sisters could do that."

"Oh, for-UAA!" The instant Lincoln blinked, the entire world around him had frozen and lost all sound, and that familiar female lookalike was leaning against the railing. He gave up, "*SIGH* Am I psychic? No, but I might as well be..."

"Not to your friends, probably," the girl smirked, "I reckon I pulled you in at the right time?"

"I'm in the IS subspace...fully conscious..." Lincoln talked with his hands, "Do you have any idea how deranged I look right now?..."

"Your friends are all asleep! They don't know!" She wagged her hands, "It's fine!"

"What part of me being sucked into my own IS's magical core is fine?!"

"I don't know," she shrugged her shoulders, "The view?"

"Oh, blow me down with your bluntness..." Lincoln groaned and leaned over the railing, "...though I will say, I've never seen the hometown skyline till now."

"Well then, you haven't lived. You or your family."

"Yet another reminder of the past-don't say a word."

"Poi...Still, any place you're gonna visit tomorrow?"

"Maybe my room. Clyde says that Lynn inhabits that room now, so I can't wait to see what disaster zone she's managed to conjure up."

"How's that possible with half her body shredded?"

"Shredded my right buck tooth!" Lincoln scoffed, "She's a way tougher cookie than she's letting on!"

"How did you figure an email update for an attempted guilt trip?" The girl looked at him funny.

"Because I know my sisters a lot longer than you have," Lincoln said, "You know, why don't you just fizzle me back to whatever world I came from, whoever you are?"

The girl mulled on that last line, "Whoever I am...who am I?"

"Uh-really?" Lincoln wasn't having that, "You're gonna pull that one on me now? You're my partner, right?"

"Yeah, I got that, but really, who am I?"

This set off an alarm inside him, "Wait, wait, wait, wait...you don't have a name?"

"...do I need a name?"

Lincoln cringed. He was having an existential conversation with what was essentially a projected figment of his imagination. He tried to get out of it it by recalling his words before the beginning of the school year, "Ok, uh...well, what about Ace? Yeah, I called you Ace when all this started."

"Firstly, that's a dude's name," the girl flatly rejected, "Secondly, we're bordering on plagiarism here."

"Well we gotta think of-" the moment Lincoln turned back to face her, she was gone, "What The Who now!" and time flowed once again in his world. He looked over the city and saw Night Club and Strong Suit kicking up a major storm with the pro-Hazeltucky crowd, and High Card desperately trying (in vain) to quell it.

"Why haven't they fizzled out of existence yet?..." he groaned as he went to bed, "What did I put in them?"

The next morning came. Lincoln was sound asleep in his hotel bedroom by himself, dreaming about the simpler and happier days before his 11th birthday, when he felt something rummaging through his hair.

"...ud...Loud..."

"...nn...nnn..."

"Lincoln Loud."

"AAAAA! Wuzzat! Wut appen?! He to go...huh?..." Lincoln woke to find a familiar bob-cut eyepatch woman.

"Apologies, Lincoln. But I'm afraid we have no more time to lose," it was Clarissa.

"Clarissa?..." Lincoln woke up, "Wh-what are you doing here? What time is it?"

"It is 08:30 hours currently," Clarissa said while preparing his bag, "I came to warn you that the Louds have boarded their main transportation vehicle aptly named 'Vanzilla'."

"Vanzilla-AAA!" That word jolted him out of the bedroom and into high-alert, "Then that means Phantom Task could hit them at any time!" He quickly schlepped on his usual clothes and ran for the door, "We gotta make time! I'll meet you at the house!"

"Oh, not with that outfit," Clarissa yanked him back inside, "Your orange shirt will give away your position to the enemy."

"Right..." he nodded, "but what am I gonna wear?"

"I've taken the liberty of studying the current fashion trends and customized the best disguises for us," Clarissa pointed her thumb to an unsettling object: a manga about high schoolers visiting America.

Two minutes later, they emerged from the bathroom...not at all in line with the current fashion trends, instead looking like an IRL advertisement for a biker gang romcom/buddy film.

"Sunglasses?" Lincoln groaned, "Really?"

"I noticed the cool trend is very popular among the teenagers," Clarissa said.

"Popular?! I look like a stereotypical Hollywood representation of a 1950s greaser!"

"It's the only set of clothes that will fully distract from your usual Evolution of Dance attire."

"I don't act that old!...do I?"

"That's debatable," Clarissa pushed his bag into him, "Your mission objectives are not. Now, get going!"

Lincoln was shoved out the door and ran into High Card's behind, "OOF! Ow, my-GGGKK?!"

"Excuse me, Mister Puberty?" High Card griped.

"I told you you got buns, hun," Night Club snickered.

Strong Suit came up behind him, "But if I were you, I'd go for a full frontal assault. Squeeze squeeze."

"Would you stop giving me ideas?!" Lincoln shoved them all outside.

"First, these literally unheard of alternate costumes, and now this..." High Card groaned.

Fifteen minutes later, Lincoln's team was assembled at the same park where his practical was held. High Card was on the phone with Kim's team, who was following Vanzilla to Great Lakes City.

"Traffic is horrendously backed up on the main route," Kim commed, "I'm afraid we won't reach our destination until late in the afternoon."

"Do you have visual confirmation of the Loud family?" High Card asked.

"I do," Akina said, "They're all complaining about everything. I can hear them from ten cars away through the honking deafness they're so loud!" Right before disconnecting the call.

"Hey, what's the name?" Night Club poked.

"At least we know that they're gone," Strong Suit scratched her head.

"So, what's the plan?" Night Club asked.

"I think we should split up so we have better coverage," Lincoln suggested.

"Good idea," High Card nodded, then quickly grabbed Night Club's arm, "I'll take Night to the mall."

"Whoa, High! What gives?" Night Club yelped.

"I don't wanna catch the you-know-whats," High Card whispered into her ear.

Which prompted Night Club to embarrass High Card by shouting, "Sorry, bruh, back door's occupied! But I can let you in through the front! *WINK*"

"No! Don't! I-gi-that-WHAT IS WRONG WITH YOU?!" That was the last thing Lincoln heard from High Card before she was dragged away to the mall.

"Ok, if that isn't indicative of things to come..." Lincoln shook his head.

"Guess we've got the easy part of town," Strong Suit nudged, "Shall we?"

"Might as well," Lincoln walked with her down the sidewalk, "So, about last night..."

"Ohoho, have I got a story for you!" Strong Suit rubbed her hands together.

**—TEN MINUTES LATER—**

"And that's how we won a couple battles for Royal Woods and demoralized those Hazelpunkys," Strong Suit grinned.

Lincoln went pale, "That's it...mission failed...day one, and we already blew it..."

"Now, now," Strong Suit played her reassurance, "We already knew not to go in our regular getups for our identity, so we put on different clothes."

"And what would those be?" Lincoln asked.

Much to his horror, Strong Suit took off her bandanna, kneecaps and sweatbands, and then materialized a red and white Jersey with a giant red "1" in the center, "Tadaaaaa! Whaddaya think? Pretty good eye candy, huh?"

"THAT MAKES THINGS WORSE!" Lincoln screamed.

Just then, they heard laughter coming from the McBrides residence.

"Huh...thought they'd be out for the week," Lincoln said.

"Friends of yours?" Strong Suit asked.

"A really good friend," Lincoln responded, "Let's get a close up," he motioned her to follow him to the nearest open window. But once they peeked in on the conversation...

"And I can imagine the looks on their faces when they saw me like, OH CRAP!"

"Aaaa! Dead girl! Someone help!"

"Help, nothing! You put me there! What's the matter with you?!"

"I don't know! You're dead! I'm dead! The whole world's dead! Dead is dead!"

"And all of a sudden-" falsetto "-AAAAANGEEEELLLLLS BOWING DOWN FROM HIIIIIIIIIIIIIGH!"

More laughter.

Lincoln grabbed Strong Suit and ran back to the park, then stuffed themselves under a tunnel in the playground.

"Ok, ow. What was that?" Strong Suit griped while Lincoln had a panic attack, "All I saw was two friends. Ain't nothing wrong with that, right?"

Just then, Lincoln's communicator linked to Kim's team.

"Lincoln, we have a problem," Tomoya commed over, "We were able to do a visual headcount on Vanzilla, but we only counted 11 heads-"

"IT'S LYNN!" Lincoln bellowed, "LYNN STAYED BEHIND!"

"What?!" Kim was startled, "Lynn Jr?!"

"That's bad, isn't it?" Akina said.

"I guess?" Strong Suit spoke, "But why is it-"

"BECAUSE YOU LOOK JUST LIKE HER!" Lincoln screamed.

Strong Suit took a moment, and then, "Oooohhhhhhhh..."

"Wait, that was Strong Suit?!" Kim asked, "They still haven't fizzled out of existence yet?!"

"Hey, I don't know why either!" Lincoln commed, "But you have to send somebody back here!"

"No worries! You still have that Har_foosh_ whoever," Akina said, "I'm sure she can control her no problem!"

"Man, I hope you have that right," Lincoln looked to his right, "because Double S just took after Double L!"

"...Uh, English please?" Kim said.

"Strong Suit's gone," Lincoln flatly said, "She is spying on Lynn as we speak."

Upon hearing a fairly haunting "**...what?!...**", Lincoln cut the connection, left the bridge, and ran in the direction of the house, despite the risk of being seen by Lynn or Clyde.

Meanwhile, Clyde and Lynn were on the McBrides doorstep.

"Man, I didn't think you could last this long against a chokehold," Lynn said.

"I get fidgety when I do taxes all day long," Clyde stretched his shoulders, "I had to do something about it."

"Hey, let me work off those shoulder sometime."

"Maybe tomorrow? My dads are going out for the weekend."

"Cool beans, bro," Lynn fist bumped Clyde, "Tomorrow morning, it is." They parted ways for the day, with a small yet strange feeling of warmth and fuzziness in their core.

Lynn traveled back to the house with that feeling masking her initially aching back and legs, "Boy oh boy, Francisco's gonna be...did he even notice that note?..." She walked up to the porch and sighed, "Great...now, I'm brooding..."

And right behind her... "Not very like you at all." ...her soundalike voice.

"Huh?" Lynn turned around, "Who the-"

Lynn's eyes widened. She didn't know how to react to seeing her actual body double.

"Yo," Strong Suit waved.

Lynn cautiously approached her twin body, "Whoa...who're you?"

"I'm your better half."

"No," Lincoln arrived too late, "Dangit..."


	32. Reunion

Lincoln was not in the best frame of mind after what he just saw, "Bad, really bad, Lynn vs Lynn bad, please stop with the past bad-" He quickly ducked behind the front yard tree and listened in very intently on the conversation.

And at first, Lynn was amused, "Really? My better half? There ain't no other me than...me!"

"And I don't doubt that," Strong Suit nodded, "It's just that...I've taken over as you now."

"Oh? And what does that make me?"

"Just an illusion," Strong Suit made some questionable hand motions, "Gone with the wind."

"Oh, yeah? Prove it," Lynn fell for it, "Prove you're the me me right now!" She got into position for her signature Cossack dance. Then, she fought through the pain in her legs and performed the ritual, "Hutta-hut! Hutta-hut! Hutta-hut!~~~"

Strong Suit analyzed Lynn's movements and sounds in less than five seconds, "Hutta-hut! Hutta-hut! Hutta-hut!~~~" and mimicked her perfectly. Slowly but surely, the movement from both girls got crazier and crazier, until the deciding moment when they had to land a backflip squat.

They tried to flip and land flat on her feet, but when they hit the hard wood-

-CRASH!-

"**AGGAAAAAAAAAAAAAAGGGGGHHHHHHH!...**"

Lynn's leg nerves were shot, and the Strong Suit plowed her heels through the hard wood and landed on her bum.

"Grrrrrgh..." Strong Suit gritted her teeth, "Does not want..."

"Ow! Ow! Ow! My legs!" Lynn scrambled out of the wood. Strong Suit noticed her pain and rushed her into the house.

The ruckus was so loud, they didn't hear Lincoln banging his head against the garage wall.

"Extremely bad...this is not going well at all..." Lincoln deployed his wing units and floated into the tree.

Meanwhile, Strong Suit wrapped Lynn's legs in ice packs and bandages, "Ow...dangit, I thought I was ok for that..."

"So do a lot of meatheads," Strong Suit came from the kitchen with a corn dog for Lynn, "The kind of effort you put in ain't gonna go away at all."

"What effort?" Lynn asked while eating the corn dog.

"Effort that sidelined you for the last few weeks," Strong Suit bluffed, "I still remember how the big guys throttled you across the field."

"Whoa..." Lynn marveled; she didn't think Suit would actually know, but she quickly figured out that her lookalike wasn't a hallucination, "How'd you know?!"

'I did?' was what Strong Suit thought, but she actually said, "How else?"

"Naw, you're not me, you're just a construct," Lynn nagged, "And speaking of which, where do you rank on the pecking order of the sidekicks?"

Strong Suit grinned, "Actually, I was the first hero he thought of. It was a heat of the moment type thing."

"The first?!" Lynn jolted, "You're the first hero?!"

"I got the number 1 for a reason."

"Wow..." Lynn's mind started wandering into personal territory. She deduced that she was actually the first sidekick that Lincoln called upon in the first official battle of the school year. She thought of any possible reason why her counterpart was the first to join the roster, given that ISs were basically functioned by thought and that this was before the photo and memories came to Lincoln, "Why was I the first?"

"Who knows?" Strong Suit cleaned up Lynn's legs, "It all depends on whoever's the captain."

"You mean, Lincoln?"

Strong Suit never got used to that name, "Not the title I use, but...yeah."

"But if you're here...then, Lincoln's here! He has to be!" Lynn brightened.

"Yes he is, but I wouldn't recommend going after him," Strong Suit shook her head and went to the sink, "He's still shaken by that costume thing you pulled."

"Oh..." Lynn murmured, "So, he is..."

And then, Strong Suit went off the rails, "Yeah, you should've seen the look on his face when he found out he'd have to go under the costume again. Just that look of pure shock like, "This isn't real. This can't be real. I absolutely refuse to believe that this is real." Then, two minutes later, "Oh, it's real..." I'd love to see that look on his face when you made him put the mask on the beach in full view of the entire party! I bet it's priceless!"

"Shut up."

"Huh?" Strong Suit turned behind her, and instantly caught the corn dog stick, "Oy!"

"SHUT UP!" Lynn snapped, "Don't you dare say anything about that!"

"What?" Strong Suit said, "I'm only saying what Ace told me."

"And stop calling him Ace! He's Lincoln! He's a Loud!"

"Not what he tells us. I keep hearing about what'd happen if he stayed here and just let things slide: you'll keep some mentally blah blah cycle going, only you'll chain him to the wheel."

Lynn got worried, "What th-we don't do that! We'd never do that!"

"I guess you're right. I mean, he just made a mistake back in Japan, and now-well, they're not saying it, but everyone's demanding an apology from him...Sound familiar?"

Yes it did. Lynn could recall several occasions where the sisters and Lincoln had made a mistake that caused them to be ostracized by the family, forcing them to apologize and make it up to them just to stave off some of their wrath. She couldn't allow her counterpart to catch on, but she was struggling with herself to not admit defeat, "Well...not...really...I mean, we had our share of mishaps, but-wait, why am I talking about this? Shouldn't you already know?!"

"Oh, I know," Strong Suit said, "I just wanna know if you know, or you're pretending to know."

"Ok, enough with the vagueness and the brain-taxation puzzle speak!" Lynn had enough, "What is going on with Lincoln?!"

"Hey, that's why I'm asking you," Strong Suit shrugged after finishing her cleaning.

Lynn gave up and threw the towels nd ice packs through the window, "I don't know! He hasn't called back in ever! He's just responded to a few emails, nothing more!"

"Oh...so you don't know..."

Lynn couldn't take it anymore and hissed in Strong Suit's ear, "Know...what?..."

"He's thinking about changing his name altogether," Strong Suit casually blurted out like it was nothing, "How does...Kichirou Orimura sound?"

Lynn froze, eyes widened and somewhat grayed out, "What?...Why?..."

Strong Suit ignored Lynn and rambled on, "Lori once questioned whether or not they'd have to contend with even more sisters," She grabbed a cup of milk, then sat at the kid's table, "Yes. Yes, she will. You spoke with Rin Fan before. Twin tailed, green-eyed..." she peered an eye at Lynn, "...your older, more mature body double?" and drank.

"B...body double?!" Lynn was shaken. The thought had never crossed her mind that she would be replaced by someone who looked like her.

"Oh, yeah," Strong Suit drank and nodded, "And this Ichika guy? Turns out he'd be older Ace, only with blue hair and half the common sense. And everyone else that Ichika's friends with? They're you and your sisters if they grew a pair. How crazy's that?"

Lynn stood still. Time stood still for her. In hindsight, she probably should've seen that coming since she and her sisters effectively replaced Lincoln with Clyde. Whether Lincoln asked him to or not was completely irrelevant, because he ended up having to do double duty; caring for every individual Loud's needs in addition to his dads' well-being, having to balance his own personal life against the fervor and breakneck pace of the war... he was essentially Lincoln. If it weren't for the glasses and the black skin, he would be Lincoln, and none of his sisters would recognize the switch.

It became clear to Lynn that the people changed...and that's it. Nothing else changed. After they Clyde to get over his crush on Lori, they used him as a mule for their own petty wants, while Lincoln himself...well, she wasn't sure what he was doing in Japan, and she was even less sure of what he's doing back in Michigan.

There was one thing she was sure of: Lincoln called Fleemco to make some changes, and he was very happy with the results.

"Ha...hahaha...so that's it..." Lynn muttered, veering her body towards the door.

"Yep," Strong Suit noticed, "Hey, where you going?"

"Um...I'm gonna go visit a friend..."

"Right," Strong Suit waved and went to the basement, "Hey, if you see Margo, tell her not to go near any spooky phantoms!"

Lynn didn't hear her. She shut the door and trudged her way back into the street. "Should've taken the hit..." she whispered, "I should've taken the hit..." She never once turned back.

If she had, she would've seen Lincoln in the giant tree, just as lost for words.

"Good god..." Lincoln whispered, "Is that really what's going on inside me?..." He climbed down and made his way to the front door, stowing his own inner conflict for later. He put one finger on the door, and it creaked itself open, as if it was waiting for him. "I'll just take the memories I need," he said to himself, "I don't need all this...stuff," as he walked inside.

What he saw inside wasn't normal. The house was sparkling clean and dustless, save for a few crumbs and a small glass. The master bedroom was clean to the point of looking like it hadn't been touched in years. The kitchen was thoroughly cleaned and wiped; every single utensil received an extensive wash.

"What's going on here?" He wondered, "The house is never this spotless..."

"You're telling me."

"YAHAHAHAHAAAA!" Lincoln jolted upward due to Strong Suit's sudden scare.

"The basement is not dirty," Strong Suit said, "Even the gutters were rinsed out. What the heck?"

"Strong Suit?!" Lincoln shivered before regaining his composure and slapping her upside the head, "What was that bit with you and Lynn?! Didn't we say DON'T get caught?!"

"How could I not?" Strong Suit twirled her sweatband, "Just looking at her gives me the bad vibes."

"You're the one who said we should go for a clean win!"

"Oh, I did..." Strong Suit made her way upstairs, "...ah, well. I guess we're playing on a higher difficulty now." ...without a care in the world.

"What is wrong with you?!" Lincoln followed Suit, "You know, sometimes I wonder if I should've turned Chifuyu down and stayed home."

"Really?..." Strong Suit cringed, "You've been flip-flopping between getting over it and not this whole time?..."

"It's more complicated than you think, mind you-PLABPH!" Lincoln bumped into Strong Suit, who suddenly stopped, "Ok, what am I gonna have to witness this time?" He clammed up when he saw what she pointed to.

It was his room. When he walked in, he noticed a faint scent of freshness. He also noticed that his knickknacks that he chose to leave behind were neatly arranged in order of rarity and size. His clothes seemed like they were recently ironed, all neatly folded and hanging in their proper place. His furniture had just been polished, and the sheets smell like they just came from the laundry.

Lincoln ran into the other bedrooms to see if they've been given the same care and attention as his room. Long story short: they have. Lola and Lana's room was sparkling clean on both sides. Lisa and Lily's room had no strange smells whatsoever. Luan and Luna's room was de-cluttered and de-pranked. Lori and Leni's room was completely organized. The only room that hadn't changed was Lucy and Lynn's room, but that was only because Lynn hadn't been in her own bed for a long time, meaning her own little corner hadn't been touched in over four months.

"Ok, kagami no sekai..." Lincoln sighed, "What's the big elusively obvious lesson for me today?..."

"Heck of a clue, this corner," Strong Suit inspected Lynn's bed, "Look at all these clothes just lying around."

Lincoln recognized them, "These are all Lynn's lucky jerseys," He tried to pick one of them up, but he felt the crustiness of the leftovers, "Blegh...did she bother taking them outside at all?..."

"Naw, these smell just the right kind of lucky?" Strong Suit was basking in their musty smell when she caught wind of the L-word, "Dangit, I haven't dinged her for lucky!"

"Is that what you harassed Lynn for?" Lincoln asked, "Haven't you gotten over that by now?!"

"Like you haven't?" Strong Suit smirked.

"Of course I-...-...-..." Lincoln couldn't finish his sentence...

_("I took a hit for Lynn?!")_

_("...HE KNOWS! HE KNOWS EVERYTHING!")_

_("Wait, that actually happened?!")_

...because he hasn't gotten over it. He still thought that the 6th Grade battle started the lightning rod crud which resulted in the...well...

Back in Japan, Houki was meditating in the Suicide Forest, thinking about a couple things she said...

_("They say the spirits of the fallen still guide the course of Japan even today.")_

_("And to make things worse, after Tabane created IS, I was separated from my parents while my sister was whisked away to kingdom come!")_

Did the ghosts of the fallen guide Tabane to separate from Houki? Did they force the two to walk parallel paths?

"Ugh..." Houki lost her serene concentration, "What's going on with me?..." she kept thinking about the July 7th of this year, the day she spent in complete isolation. No company except a small cupcake with a single glowing candle. She could see why letting go of her emotional baggage was complete crap. She didn't even notice the cackling of fallen leaves and branches creeping up from behind.

"So, this is where you've been hiding this whole time," it was Chifuyu, "The spirits aren't going anywhere, so can you give me your attention?"

"Um..." Houki stood up, "Yes, ma'am..."

Chifuyu led Houki on the path back to the resort, "You've been distracted for quite a while now. Do you wanna talk about it?"

"Well..." Houki sighed, then put aside her emotions for just this one conversation, "It's about Tabane."

"What about?"

"She, uh...she sent me a text saying she was making something for me."

"So that's it..." Chifuyu looked to her left and found the trees slowly giving way to civilization, "She also had the pleasure of contacting me this morning about the exact same thing."

"Oh..." Houki acknowledged, "Miss Orimura? Do you really believe that? That Akatsubaki business?"

"You should know your sister by now, Shinonono. She's literally capable of anything."

"I know, but...she's so wild, I can't tell if she's really toying with me."

"Well, there's really only one way to find out. Are you willing to take that risk?"

Houki and Chifuyu emerged back onto the main road. Houki took a couple deep breaths to calm herself down, "I...guess. If I have to see it through to the end...and she's the end...then I have to."

"Understood," Chifuyu walked Houki into a morning gathering of the locals, "by the way, how are you coming along with the assignment?"

"Oh, that," Houki said, "I know that the rumor's true, but I'm gonna try to prove it false."

"Oh?" Chifuyu smirked, "And what gave you that idea?"

An hour later, back in Michigan, Lincoln and Strong Suit were walking around in the park, this time with disguises that rendered them completely unrecognizable.

"Gotta admit," Strong Suit said, "This introspection stuff is more fun than I gave it credit for!"

"Guh..." Lincoln groaned, "Will you get off my back for one goddamn day?..."

"What're you getting so angsts about?" Strong Suit asked.

"Why'd you have to go and say that crud to Lynn?"

"Well, since you're asking me, because I'm trying to bring a form of closure to this overly dragged story arc you got going on."

"How do you expect me to just drop something like that?" Lincoln asked.

"I dunno," Strong Suit shrugged, "With time?"

"Time, Huh?" Lincoln raised an eyebrow, "Ok, come here," before dragging Strong Suit to a concession stand...full of squirrel boy figurines, "Tell me, can time fix that? Can time fix a meme?"

"*SNICKER*...nope..." Strong Suit tried to contain her laughter, "but it can sure promote one, hahaaaa..."

"Ugh...you're unbelievable..."

The concession stand owner noticed the two, "Hey, kids! You want a squirrel boy action figure? Only $5!"

"Five bucks for this?..." Strong Suit was nonplussed, "Where's the deal in five bucks?"

"It's actually a 2-for-5," the concession stand owner explained, "You get that, and the New Era Ace Savvy figurine!"

"Sold!" Strong Suit quickly surrendered her five. After fifteen minutes of showing off her new toys to the locals, she returned to Lincoln, "Check it out, bro! I got me a ton of sick autographs!"

Lincoln gritted his teeth, "Great to see everything checks out here..."

Meanwhile, at the mall, High Card and Night Club made a full round and found nothing suspicious or Margo-like, save for a few chants about the upcoming Thanksgiving game. Once they confirmed nothing out of the ordinary, they took a few minutes to rest at the food court.

Or rather, Night Club did. High Card found a phone store and upgraded her hardware (and her abilities) at the cost of breaking Lincoln's mobile allowance in half.

Night Club was playing a calming haunting tune with her guitar when High Card approached from behind.

"Check it out, Night!" High Card showed off her new phone, "What do you think, huh?"

"I think you just flushed a grand fortune down the crapper, dude," Night Club shook her head, "What's the use of something you'll replace nine months from now?"

"Because, this!" High Card tapped an app on the screen, and all of a sudden...

["No, the price tag was $799! I saw it for myself!"]

["My sincerest apologies, madam, but that price tag is wrong. It should be $1,099."]

["This is absolutely unacceptable!~~~"]

Night Club grew concerned, "Ok...so, we're gonna spy on some peeps?"

"Not just any peep," High Card typed several words in her phone, and out came another voice...

["Whaddaya mean, you didn't go? They're your family, Lynn."]

["I mean, I wimped out, Margo. I can't bring myself to face them."]

"Get out!" Night Club suddenly marveled, "You can get a hit on that woman?!"

"Yes indeed, I can," High Card winked, before suddenly running her thumb across the screen, triggering a switch in surveillance-

["No problem! I'll just find Houki-Pouki the old fashioned way: with my Houki-tracking device!"]

-CRSH!-

High Card instantly recognized that voice and broke her phone to cut off the signal.

"Uhhhh..." Night Club seemed to recognize that voice as well, "Was that who I think it was?..."

"So..." High Card scratched her head, "How about that favor I asked about?"

"My music ain't for cheap pennies!" Night Club reacted.

And yes, that was Lynn inside Margo's Royal Woods residence. Currently, Lynn remained oblivious to Margo's involvement with Phantom Task; she was only visiting to offer encouragement, and hopefully receive in return. Though that didn't look possible because they were both affected by the ongoing war, which was scheduled to reach its climax the next day, with the onslaught of Thanksgiving events.

"Geez..." Lynn gasped after hearing what all she left behind for Margo, "Soccer, a marathon, and an open swim meet? All tomorrow?"

"Yeah," Margo drank a huge glass of milk, "Hazeltucky's pulling out all the stops to try and cap a win this semester. All the nerds and musicals have done their part, sowhat the heck are they dragging me under the bus for?"

"Sorry I left such a huge black hole, man," Lynn gave Margo a napkin.

"What're you apologizing for?"

"Uh...no reason," Lynn scratched her head, "I just felt like it."

"Ok, dude, that is _so_ not like you," Margo said, "What did you bump into this time?"

Lynn sighed, "Ok... I ran into someone that looked a mirror me."

"Huh? Mirror you?" Margo questioned Lynn's judgement, "as in?..."

"As in "Hutta-hut, backflip, carried me inside and told me that Lincoln's gonna replace me" mirror me."

"What?" Margo was slightly taken aback by that statement, "Lincoln?"

"Yep..." Lynn responded, "and she carried me inside, so she's very real."

"Yeah, but...that can't be you, right? I mean...you're here!"

"Which means, that mirror me is a projection, something that only someone extremely close to her can manufacture..."

"So..." Margo rubbed her forehead, "you're telling me that...Lincoln's here in Royal Woods?"

"Yeah," Lynn looked away, "He's definitely come home."

Margo acted on Lynn's unenthusiastic revelation, "Why're you so down? Isn't this a good thing? Your brother came back home."

"Pfft...probably just to spite me in the earlobe," Lynn sarcastically tossed the notion away, "He's already replaced me with a much better version of me."

"You don't know that! That's just a figment of his imagination! He could've been thinking some weird things on the way over here!"

"Except it ain't weird," Lynn became confrontational, "Those ISs are powered by the pilot's mind. It's not a fabrication; it's their genuine thought. And whatever Lincoln put in that little me-whore to say whatever she said..." Lynn cracked a glass with her bare hands.

"Jesus, Lynn!" Margo rushed Lynn to the sink in an effort to clean up her newly shard-scratched hand, "Seriously, you need to take it easy, even if he is your brother! Why're you so obsessed with what the fake-you said, anyway? You just told me that she's just a fake!"

"But his thoughts are very real," Lynn said, "and she just spat out his thoughts."

"Well, if that's the case, why don't we go out to find him?" Margo suggested, "He can't be that far away if that...projection spat out his mind...right?"

"Well...I guess not..." Lynn didn't like the idea of confirming those very words that not-Lynn spoke. She knew what happens to those IS things once they become personalized, but she eventually settled with that idea. After all, what goes into an IS isn't necessary what comes out of it. She figured that she had to hear the truth from him no matter what, if only to quell this strange feeling of unease.

Margo, however, had other ideas. Lynn's decisions to stay at home and find Lincoln played very favorably in her quest for IS dominance as she had just been given an opportunity to kill two birds with one stone. All she needed to do was to keep her mood and wait for the right time to strike, which would be when Lynn and Lincoln were right in front of her. Meaning that she had to play along with her "best friend" a little while longer.

"Then, it's settled," Margo said, "Tonight, we'll venture all across town and find him. And we're not stopping for anything unless it's him."

"Not what-ing for who?" Lynn's ears were fixated on that last sentence.

"Come on! What's the problem?" Margo nudged her, "Chances are if we find him, we'll get to see the other members of his new family!"

"What? That's not what I-"

"Ok, then!" Margo clapped her hands, "If you don't have anything else to do, why don't you stay here for the day?"

"Aren't your parents gonna ask some stuff?" Lynn asked, "And don't you have a gauntlet to prepare for?"

"Lynn, how long have we been together?" Margo brushed the dust off, "This is nothing."

With that, Lynn was persuaded to take Margo into the night to find her brother, completely unaware that Night Club and High Card were listening in from the mall's electronics outlet store on High Card's new tablet...

"Dammit, Suit..."

"When I find her, I'm gonna..."

"Not worth it, High..."

...utterly pissed at Strong Suit for effectively blowing their cover.

"Does she have any idea what she said literally a few days ago?!" High Card complained, "That does it! I have to tell Akina and Kim that we've changed all of our lemonade back into sour, rotten lemons!"

"Actually, don't do that yet," Night Club turned the tablet off.

"Hey! What gives?!" High Card snapped, "What'd you do that for?!"

"Margo just said that she was gonna find us," Night Club said, "We can ask her everything then."

"One, she's coming with the Four Leaf Bent-Over. Two, she could be watched by Phantom Task."

"Really?" Night Club piqued, "Saves us the trouble of hunting them down, huh?" And left, but not before giving the cashier a bank card. "It's mine," she winked, "Keep the change," and left.

High Card sighed, "You're just so cavalier with personal property...gross."

While Lincoln's team ended up exploring the whole of Royal Woods while somehow managing to remain undetected by Clyde or Lynn, Kim's team managed to get into the Casagrandes apartment complex without arousing suspicion that evening. They all managed to settle in a furnished apartment right next to the two rowdiest apartment spaces in the whole building.

The team was at the check in desk when they saw the Loud family enter the lobby, incredibly worn out from the long and obnoxious trip over.

Lynn Sr especially. "We...good...whew..." he patted as he approached the receptionist, "We have visitors' passes for the Casagrandes..."

"I'm gonna hurl..." Lola grabbed the nearest trash can and ran outside.

"Wait for me, bruh..." And Luna was close behind her.

"For the last time, IT WAS MY SHOES!" Lori screamed as she ran after them.

"Hey, you missed!" Luan quipped, "Now, that's _beyond the pail_! Hahahahaha-but seriously-" right before running outside.

"Gosh," Kim muttered, "It feels so weird seeing the actual family in person."

"I'll say," Akina said, "I can't even without the face masks."

"Miss Tachibana and Miss Hotaru?" The receptionist called over, "Your reservation is complete, but..."

"What's wrong?" Akane asked.

"Are you sure about 417? We've been getting complaints about the incessant noise from the two surrounding areas."

"Trust me," Akane answered, "That noise will make it easier for me to sleep."

"Very well," the receptionist handed her the keys, "417 is all yours."

"Thanks," Akane took the keys and the luggage, "Ok, you two. Let's head on up."

"Miss Akane?" Tomoya said, "Shouldn't we wait for them?" She pointed to the giant mass of Loud rushing inside to get away from the foul odor.

"Ohhhh..." Akane nodded while Kim and Akina hid behind her.

The Loud finally made their way upstairs onto the Casagrandes floor.

"Dang, that was some rancid loogies you guys hocked up," Lana said a little too gleefully for their liking, "Did it really kill the bushes outside?"

"Clearly, Lori's odorous fumes have influenced your cerebral cortex," Lisa shook her head, "You leave me no choice but to perform a comprehensive gastrointestinal inspection."

"Will you lay off?!" Lori protested, "My stomach is perfectly functional and not problematic!"

"To you, maybe," Lola butt in, "but my hair knows bad BO!"

"Guys, let's just take it easy," Lucy rubbed her hidden forehead, "We have enough fights back home. Let's try to not throw down, ok?"

"Lucy's right," Leni agreed, "I rather not have to throw anything to the ground or break anything just because our friends back home are doing it."

"We're here," Rita led the family into the target hallway, "Now, let's all try to relax and forget about everything-" She was interrupted by a pair of doors slamming open.

"¡Bienvenido a nuestra casa!" The Casagrandes came out of both doors to greet the Loud family.

"¡Hola, Hector!" Lynn Sr greeted the eldest Casagrande.

"¡Hola, amigo!" Hector greeted in return, "We weren't expecting you till tomorrow morning!"

"Well, things happen, and we had to bail out before we all lost our minds," Lynn Sr said as the rest of the Loud family was bombarded by the rest of the Casagrande family.

"Oh, I understand," Hector responded, "Come in, come!"

Frida came out to hug Rita, "It's been a long while, Rita! We haven't spoken in a month!"

"Well, there's so much directed at us, that there's no time to talk anymore," Rita said.

"We have a lot to catch up on!" Frida pushed them family inside, "Dinner and a show, just for two of us! If you know what I mean..."

"Actually, I don't-" Rita was cut off by being shoved inside and the door slamming on her.

Tomoya, Akane, Kim, and Akina stood there, absolutely stunned at what just happened in the last ten seconds.

"Someone's attacking them?...Seriously, them?..." Akina was seriously questioning the legitimacy of the mission.

"I'll explain everything once we get inside," Tomoya said, "For now, let's try to shower this craziness away."

After the team showered, Tomoya gathered Kim and Akina at the dinner table and showed them the very reason they were sent to watch over this very building. She showed a video of an IS demonstration that she recorded a couple days before the October class tournament, in which the entire Loud family went up to the giant metallic structure for good luck. Unsurprisingly, Lynn Sr and Rita were unable to move the IS.

But to the mortified shock of Kim and Akina, all ten sisters were able to command the IS to move, on an unheard of level for a woman with no prior exposure to anything IS-related.

"Oh my..." Akina gasped.

"Does this mean..." Kim couldn't finish.

"I'm afraid so," Tomoya nodded, "They're going to kill everyone, including the baby."

"Do we know who's coming after them?!" Akina screamed.

"We don't," Akane said, "That's why we're surveilling them, so we can identify and stop the attackers."

"That'll be easy to do," Tomoya interrupted with the living room TV that showed the Casagrandes and the Louds doing...

["GOBBLEGOBBLOEGBBOLOLOBBOLOLOOEBEOLOGGOBOLOBGEGOLOOEGEBLOGOE~~~"]

...a turkey dance...of sorts...

"We just need to surveil whoever's not making a complete fool of themselves," Tomoya said while everyone else cringed.

At the same time, though, Hank, Hawk, Janice, and Juniper have just seen Kim's team follow the Louds into the building. They quickly went to the nearest alleyway and had a brief strategy meeting.

"Crap..." Hawk hissed, angry about the new obstacles to his perfect kill, "What do we do now?"

"We'll have to do it like that Snake game," Janice suggested, "One or two of us lures them out and allows the rest of us to sneak in for the kill."

"Not now, though," Hank said, "One of them looks ripe for the conquering. We need to wear them out somehow."

"You wanna take them on, bro?" Hawk asked.

"Guys, guys, remember what Autumn said," Juniper stopped them, "We need to wait until Autumn gives us the ok to act. And even then, we need to act first."

"Oh, I gotcha," Hawk nodded, "Wait till they're way too tired to act."

The group decided to hideout at the apartment building next to their target building and prepare a signal that would call Autumn to the coming fight.

Meanwhile back in Royal Woods, the search and counter search was going horribly. Lynn and Margo wasted hours scouring the city for any sign of Lincoln, while Lincoln and Strong Suit were scouring the city for Margo without getting caught; neither of them came even remotely close to finding each other. Margo and Lynn kept asking for anyone who saw someone with an overbite with a chipped tooth; they got several tips pointing to someone with that feature, all of them fruitless. Lincoln and Strong Suit couldn't rely on High Card since her phone can only track electronics and not living humans.

Ironically, they stopped to rest at opposite ends of the park.

At one end, Margo and Lynn were sprawled over the grass.

"This is pointless..." Lynn panted, "He's never...gonna show himself..."

"We gotta keep trying, though," Margo said, "There has to be a reason, a purpose for him coming back."

"I'd like to hear... what that purpose would be..."

"Come on, Lynn. You're being awfully pessimistic about this whole deal."

"Yeah...you're right..." Lynn rolled over into her stomach before pushing herself back on her feet, "I pretty much torched my calves and thighs, but I'm still good to go..."

"Gee, I hope so," Margo stood up, "Those could be your last steps."

"Worry about yourself, Miss Never Stopper," Lynn joked before continuing on.

At the other end, Lincoln and Strong Suit were sprawled across a park bench.

"What were we thinking?..." Lincoln panted, "We should've called...High Card for help..."

"No way," Strong Suit shook her head, "Lynn and Margo don't got any cellphone crud on them. We have to do this the hard way."

"We did..." Lincoln groaned, "We checked all their...favorite hangout places and activities...no one saw them..."

"Says you," Strong Suit said before pulling out her own cellphone, "High, any luck?"

"We've managed to get inside Margo's house," High Card commed back, "but it's all clean, no unusual objects of any sort."

"Dangit..." Strong Suit threw her phone at a light post, "Come on, let's head back to the hotel."

"Oh, thank god..." Lincoln slumped off the bench and followed Strong Suit, "Still, I can't believe that everyone in town's an absolute lunatic..."

"Me neither," Strong Suit commented, "It's infectious. They must really hold you on a high pedestal if they're going this far for hometown."

"I hate it. I missed the days when the most dramatic thing that happened was that freak storm tornado."

"Pfft...lame!" Strong Suit scoffed, "You act like you wanna stay 11. When was you birth..."

"High school ain't for middle schoolers, that for sh-OOF!" Lincoln suddenly bumped into a prone Strong Suit, "What's up? Did you find...Mar..." He locked up as well.

The park had only one bridge that carried pedestrians over a small body of water. That bridge was bordered by two lampposts, each occupying and guarding their assigned gate across the bridge.

Lincoln and Strong Suit occupied one. Lynn and Margo occupied the other. Both pairs were wide-eyed, completely lost for words.

Lynn recognized that white hair and chipped overbite, "Bro...I..."

"No..." Lincoln was done, "This can't...this isn't happening..."


	33. Tensions Rising

Back in Japan, Rin was by herself catching the warm greeting of the morning sun. "*YAAWWWNNNN..." she stretched, "Nothing like that cool crisp breeze to wake you up, I say..." She came down to a river to try and relax her mind, but she noticed that there was something else on her mind, something that dominated the looming weight of the rumor. Of her own doing.

_("Tch...I shoulda stayed behind. At least Lincoln isn't such a pushover.")_

"Ok...weird..." Why did she say that? What in the world compelled her to say that? Was she really that desperate for a man, or was there something about him that she really connected to? Despite the reckless and seemingly shallow nature of her relationship... she thought Ichika was the one she wanted to be with, but now that she's taken a step back from the hectic pace and really thought about it... "Why do I keep chasing after him?..."

"Hallo?"

"AAAAA-" SPLASH! "-GGGGTHGTHGTHHGTGHGTHHG~~~"

"And what might you be doing in the cold?" Laura asked after pulling a fast one on Rin and making her splash in the river to shake the scare off her back.

"Gggggggg..." Rin shivered, "Wwwwhaaat'ssssswrrrooonnggggggwwiiithththththththyyyyyyoouuuuuuuu????..."

Ten minutes later, they warmed up at a bathhouse.

"A simple shout from afar would've been nice," Rin groaned.

"If you had known I was coming," Laura said, "your mental processes would've been interrupted."

"The hell's with that lame-ass excuse?"

"I could see you brooding, which is not normal behavior for you. That must mean that you're thinking about the impact something had on you."

"Well..." Rin scratched her cheek, "Someone...it's Ichika."

"What about him?"

"Well..." Rin sighed and flat out said it, "He's still stupid. He doesn't have a goddamn clue what I'm trying to do! I tried offering him dinner, getting up close and personal, and I even leaned in to kiss him twice while he was out! He woke up and saw me close to his face, and fuse what he said?!"

"I know what he said," Laura nodded, "Why does it mean so much to you?"

"He's my childhood friend. What else could it mean?"

"Shinonono's also a childhood friend of his."

"Has she done anything for him? Or to him?" Rin scoffed, "She can't make a decision on her own without some emotional muddled...thing clouding her mind."

"She is of the same mindset, is she not?" Laura asked, "You are both vying for his attention."

Rin was able to tell where this conversation was going, so she attempted to change the subject, "What about you? I saw that little smooch you planned on Lincoln, so what's your deal with him?"

Laura took a moment, then answered, "Lincoln managed to drill into me a lesson that couldn't be learned in a classroom. Therefore, I believe he is someone I deemed worthy of being my comrade."

"He's waaaaay more than a comrade if he's hanging with you 24/7!"

"And yet, I'm not chasing him. Or Ichika. Unlike several other girls here."

"Guh..." Rin found herself back at the point of the conversation she tried to avoid, "So, what's your deal, anyway?"

"My deal is," Laura reiterated a previous point, "who is Ichika to you?"

"Well, he's..." Rin was abruptly interrupted by a familiar male and female voice:

"Come on, Ichika! Does is have to be now?!"

"It does, Houki. I found something that'll prove the rumors real."

Rin and Laura peeked their heads out the entrance to find Ichika and Houki exploring the nearby attractions and tourist hotspots. Alone. Just the two of them. Without anyone asking.

"Seriously?!" Rin vehemently whispered, "What's he see in her?! She didn't do a single worthwhile thing!"

"Maybe that's the point," Laura surmised, "Maybe he made that very observation and is now trying to get her to do something worthwhile."

"Why, though?!" Rin repeated, "Why's he going out of his way for-" She was immediately halted by a conversation she had with Lincoln a couple days before the trip.

_("Mind telling me why you spent all that time with that freak of nature?")_

_("Which one?")_

_("That eyepatched one, bozo.")_

_("Huh...I don't know. I guess I just did.")_

_("The heck does that mean?")_

_("No idea. I just didn't want to see her isolate herself from the rest of the class, is all.")_

"Oh, that's all?..." Houki sighed in relief before resuming her normal demeanor, "Well, I can't wait to see what lame rust bolt you've uncovered."

Rin sighed, "Ok... I kinda see what you're saying...and kinda not."

"Well, why don't you find out for yourself?" Laura nudged Rin out, "Try having a normal conversation without pining for his heart."

"Yeah," Rin said, "I think I'll do just that," and then sprinted out of the bathhouse to catch-up with Ichika and Houki, "Hey, you two!"

"Huh?" Ichika turned around, "Oh! Rin, hey!"

"Rin?" Houki's mood dampened, "Whaddaya doing here?..."

"I caught wind of a certain someone trying to disprove something," Rin bumped Houki's thigh, "Thought I'd come see the spectacle for myself."

"I'll be fine with my paper," Houki fake gloated, "I don't think he's got anything spectacular to show me."

"You never know when something's going to knock your socks off," Rin winked, "Right, Ichika?"

"Rin," Ichika said, "can you lay off the flirting for just a little bit?"

At first, Rin didn't catch that question, "What, I'm just looking for a good-wait, wuh?..." until her mind did a double take.

"I mean, I'm glad you're tagging along," Ichika elaborated, "but you're getting awfully clingy. Maybe we could take it easy just for today?"

"Take it easy, huh?" Rin interpreted that as a flat-out rejection, "So, you'd rather spend more time with that piece of cardboard with a ribbon?"

"Excuse me?!" Houki stammered.

"Ok, I know for a fact that I didn't say that," Ichika said, "I only said take it easy-"

"In other words, you're gunning after that giant boob woman, right?!" Rin snapped.

Laura heard the shouting and blame-pointing, "That's not what I meant, sporty...huh? What did I just-"

"Look, I don't know what you're shouting over, but this is getting out of hand," Houki stepped in, "Let's just enjoy this walk and not attract any attention-"

"What do you know about attracting?!" Rin snapped, "You haven't done a single thing to attract any attention! Not from me, not from the other girls, and especially not from Ichika!"

Immediately, and instinctively, Ichika reacted, "More meddling? What do I have to d-" He quickly stopped himself before Rin or Houki could catch on to what he said.

"I haven't seen you all year try to join in on our playtime!" Rin continued, "Were you off whining about how Ichika wouldn't make the first move, even though the rest of us figured out that we have to make the first move?!"

Houki quickly spun those words into a viable argument, "At least I know when to back off and give him some breathing room."

Ichika took issue with that statement, "Uh, Houki-"

"What is it?!" Houki demanded, "Can't you see I'm busy?!"

"I still remember the time you pinched my balls and Cecilia twisted my nipple," Ichika flatly said, "while forcing yourselves upon me when I just wanted to grab a bite and go."

"Well, that was..." Houki stammered for an excuse, "That's because I saw you were with Cecilia! What were you doing with her?!"

"Explain that, Ichika!" Rin snapped.

"She wrung her arms around me!" Ichika responded, "I didn't ask for that! Hell, I didn't even want that!"

"How'd you expect me to believe that load of baloney?" Houki asked.

"Uh...because you weren't there to see it happen?" Ichika got her.

"But if you...I didn't...I just wanted to-"

"Then, just ask, Houki..." Ichika sighed, unwittingly forcing Houki to withdraw from the group in defeat.

"Wow," Rin said after Houki left, "I didn't think that could get out of hand-"

But Ichika wasn't finished, "And what were you doing when we got here?" He asked Rin, "Jumping on my back without my awareness? Was that another promise I'm not gonna get an explanation for?"

"Come on, dude!" Rin tapped his rib, "What's a small piggyback ride gonna hurt anyone?"

"It almost hurt me."

"What, you're gonna say I keeled over and kicked you like a big fat soccer ball? Hahahaaa! Ain't that the-"

Ichika stopped her right there, "Actually, you just did."

Rin froze and turned her gaze to his head, "...huh?"

"You and everyone else," Ichika elaborated, "I don't know why I'm just now realizing it, but...I've been hit by a pretty bad rumor from the other girls, poisoned by Cecilia, physically abused by Houki, and dragged into unnecessary chaos by you. The only people who haven't clocked me upside the head are Charlotte and Laura, but that's only because they aren't gunning for me the way everyone else is. But even then, Charlotte has the habit of calling me a pervert for stuff Inhave no control over, and Laura's...Laura."

"Uh...ok, where's all this coming from?" Rin panicked, "Why are you suddenly unloading everything now?"

"Well, one: because there's no better time to do it. And two: I don't know how else to say it," Ichika turned to face Rin, "The way that this whole school term has been progressing...I don't think I can get comfortable around anyone of you."

Rin didn't bother listening to the rest. Her mind immediately pieced together his overall message of "giving him a little more time to find himself amidst the giant crowd of women", but...

_("There was a time when you cared more about your family than our money...Yue.")_

"ICHIKA, YOU JERK!" Rin's heart went somewhere else, "YOU BIG MEAN JERK IDIOT!" She immediately ran away, shouting loudly, "I HOPE A HERD OF BULLS STAMPEDE YOU TO DEATH!" And she left the path, leaving behind a trail of uneasy gazes from unnerved students and tourists all aimed at him.

But Ichika didn't care about the leering eyes or the inevitable whispering, because in that one moment of pouring his heart out about how he really felt...a tinge of regret that only lasted for a second was quickly replaced with a surge of relief and satisfaction. The strange sense of voluntary isolation from his friends, from all the hustle and bustle of the daily antics...it felt different from when he was home alone. It felt good. Really good. And he wasn't sure if he should embrace it or fear it.

"Probably could've worded that better but...*SIGH*...Note to self," Ichika scratched his head, "Never eat cornflakes with pixie pee," and just walked in whatever direction he felt like.

Laura wasn't too far behind, watching him from a distance he can't sense her.

"Dangit..." she sighed rather sheepishly, "Charlotte never had trouble with emotions, so why did that conversation devolve so quickly?..." she decided to return to the lookout to ask Charlotte and Cecilia for advice.

While things were emotionally ramping up in the sunlight of Japan, back in the cold night of Royal Woods, things were ramping up physically. Lincoln and Strong Suit have just been caught by Margo and Lynn. Lincoln and Lynn were caught in a whilrpool of emotions, not at all knowing how to greet each other after the smack talk Strong Suit laid down for them.

Not that it mattered to Strong Suit. "He-hey, Margo!" She waved, "We've been looking for ya!"

"Really?" Margo nervously laughed, "We were looking for Lincoln this whole time!"

"Oh? Heh, small world!"

Lynn paid no mind to the sudden breeze between her good friend and her lookalike. All she was concerned with was Lincoln, and his real thoughts about the family. She tried to initiate a conversation with him, "Uh...long time no see-"

But Lincoln cut her off, "I wanna talk to Margo."

Strong Suit and Margo stopped their conversation upon hearing his intentions.

"Me?" Margo raised an eyebrow.

"Well..." Lynn tried again to insert herself into the conversation, "maybe I could find a-"

"Alone." Lincoln wasn't allowing it. He wasn't going to allow his thoughts to muddle his vision of the mission at hand. There was a time and a place for everyone and everything, but he decided that for Lynn, it wasn't then.

Lynn stammered, "But-but I-"

"Lynn," Margo stopped her by patting her shoulder, "I'll find out his mind for you."

"Are you sure?" Lynn asked, worried that Lincoln won't talk.

"It'll be fine," Margo smiled, giving Lynn a sense of assurance and trust. The two nodded at each other and bumped fists.

Strong Suit saw the interaction, "I got a slight inkling that Lynn don't know what's about to go down."

"Then, you'd better keep it that way," Lincoln ordered.

"What?!" Strong Suit complained, "Why me?!"

"Ix-nay on the oud-lay..."

Strong Suit suddenly realized why her, "Oh...oops..." She got rid of her jersey and reassembled her regular attire. Then, she and Margo walked across the bridge, exchanging their first forearm bump before making it all the way across and switching partners.

When Margo approached Lincoln, she acted friendly around him, "Been a while, Linc. Things going ok for you?"

"Not really," Lincoln immediately grabbed her hand, "Let's go somewhere private," and led her out of the park.

Lynn could only look on as Lincoln slowly left her field of vision, leaving her with more questions than she wanted, "Geez...what the heck am I supposed to say about that?..."

"Nothing," Strong Suit joined her side, "It's out of our hands, now. Whatever happens happens."

"Are you sure it's ok to leave it up to..." Lynn was instantly reminded of the very concept which started this landslide of dramatic events in the first place, "...you know..."

"Huh?" Strong Suit blinked, "What do I know again?"

"Well, that..." Lynn forced the words out of her mouth, "...Are we gonna leave it up to luck?..."

"Pretty much..." Strong Suit nodded right before putting her forehead against Lynn's, "And funny you mentioned luck."

"Dangit..." Lynn hissed.

Night Club and High Card spent their evening on a tour of the town still in their disguises which, threw off several people because of their one-to-one resemblance of their Loud counterparts. They didn't mind the comments about confusing them for someone else, though they did chat a little with the townsfolk, but only to try and land a possible hit with Lynn and Margo. So far, they've had nothing.

It wasn't long before High Card came close to giving up, "What's the point of all this running around and junk?..." she plopped down on a fast food drive-thru, "Literally no such luck in this small town-" exasperatedly loud shout "-WHICH IS NOT VERY SMALL!"

"My thoughts, exactly, bruh," Night Club drooped, "though I can't help but feel like something's gonna drop on us heavy metal."

"Night, we've been through this," High Card got slightly irritated, "No amount of hoping and aimlessly walking around is gonna change anything. Is luck suddenly gonna plop those two yahoos at our feet?"

Right when she said that, she heard-

"Haha, come on, Lincoln! I appreciate the impromptu date, but don't you already have a girlfriend?"

-and-

"Thanks for making it weird for me, Margo. Now, Whaddaya wanna eat?"

They saw Lincoln and Margo enter the very restaurant that Night Club and High Card were lounging around by...which just so happened to be Burpin' Burger.

High Card sighed, "...Really?..."

Night Club smirked, "I wanna thank me for never quitting."

"Shut it," High Card rolled herself into the grass and activated her tablet's audio surveillance app, "I'm gonna let Suit know where we are."

"Better hurry," Night Club sat beside High Card, "This is starting to feel like I'm watching one of those overly dramatic slice-of-life shows."

"Friggin...ugh, forget it..."

Inside, Lincoln and Margo were sharing a burger and a hearty laugh.

"And then," Margo said, "that soccer ball just _THWACK_ed my head and bounced off Paula's leg! And waltzed right into the goal!"

"Really? And no one noticed?" Lincoln asked.

"Heck, no! They were too busy gunning after me! Just more salt in the wound I was more than happy to rub."

"My thoughts and prayers go out to the visiting team from Glenlawn. I hope they recover from their self-inflicted humiliation," Lincoln pretended to hold up peace signs, which got a laugh out of Margo.

"Hahahaha...wow, it's been a long while, huh?" Margo said.

"Too long," Lincoln nodded, "I haven't been able to relax like this in months."

"Which is surprising, because aren't you used to putting up with a room full of girls?"

"Not like this. My sisters are going to handle puberty way better than the IS Academy girls. They already have their preset mental stereotypes in mind. And when I wouldn't stick to them, holy freaking crap!"

"Oh yeah, it's all over the news."

"Dunno if they're gonna care or not..."

"I think they will, if they're anything like you," Margo munched her burger.

"Whaddaya mean?"

"I mean, the secret menu special, the...rich people mustard," Margo commented, "What's your play here?"

Lincoln looked around in case anyone could be listening for his words. Then, when he was absolutely sure he would be unnoticed, he leaned in to Margo's personal space and whispered, "I'm on a mission to save you."

"Wuh?..." Margo didn't buy it, "Save me from what?"

"I didn't wanna say this, but... I think you're being hunted by very nasty people."

"Whoa, back it up there, sleeknozzle!" Margo chuckled, "Are you sure those IS fumes haven't gotten to your head?"

"Oh, I'm mighty sure," Lincoln said, "I hear you found yourself in a tight spot with some shady people who want to do something bad to you, and I aim to rescue you."

"Hahahahahahaaa!" Margo laughed, "Clearly, this is all for the manga club!"

"Oh, no! It's for every club in the world!"

Margo finished her burger, "Alright, I'll bite." Then she asked rather sarcastically, "Who's this big bad group that I should be rescued from?"

Lincoln looked Margo in the pupils and stated with dead seriousness, "I don't know their individual names, but they all belong to a group called..." he changed chairs and sat right next to her, "...Phantom Task."

Margo's face went from jovial to stunned in an instant, "What...what're you..."

"I know, it's nigh impossible to believe," Lincoln rambled on, "but trust me. I know you were in contact with some bad people, and I don't know what they're planning, but it's gonna wreck the world, and they're gonna make you the fall girl if things go south."

"Wreck the world?" Margo turned her gaze to his, "They're gonna make it better. Well, mine, at least."

"Yes, they'll wreck so much historrrawwwuuuuuuuuuhhhh..." Lincoln only caught wind of what she fully said mid rant.

"Oh...right," Margo said, "I was gonna mention to you at a later time, but since you already know about Phantom Task..."

"Huh?" Lincoln finally processed her words, "What? What're-what're you saying?..."

"Phantom Task isn't as bad as most people think," Margo said, "They're people who come from horrible upbringings and are looking to make a mark on the world," she turned an innocent grin to him, "and I should know. I'm one of those horrible upbringing people."

All sorts of red alerts were blaring in Lincoln's mind, "What? Huh? But...where's all this coming from?"

"A place of roughing it up and incinerating hearts to blobs," Margo said, "I had the usual...borderline stereotypical upbringing. Dad was a soldier who died in Iraq when I was very...very young, and my mom was the only person left to defend me from the thugs of Hazeltucky. It was bad. Really bad. Mom got involved with the wrong people. It got to the point where we had to move to a small town like Royal Woods to rebuild our lives, toughening ourselves up to a ridiculous degree."

"Yeah? How'd you figure that?" Lincoln was right. This went where he thought it would, and he wanted to go back into IS subspace just to cleanse himself of whatever this was.

"It's my face," Margo pointed to her nose, freckles, and buck teeth, "People think I look like a donkey and ran with it. No matter where I went, I was always the quiet sponge, always taking in punishment, until I got into sports, and then no one messed with me."

"Uh..." Lincoln interrupted, "Was that the only thing keeping you sane?"

"Pretty crude question, but...yeah, it was," Margo nodded, "I thought I could really flourish in sports. I felt like nothing could take that away..." She winced somewhat when saying her next line, "...until Lynn came around and...put on a bigger impression than I thought."

"Ok, I'll admit," Lincoln put his hands up, "Lynn can be very abrasive with her sport-going, but she's not that bad a person."

"I know, Lynn's a good friend, but..." Margo rubbed her chest, "...it wasn't enough. You ever get that one feeling when you do the one thing you're good at and then someone else comes in and steals the spotlight? Like, you devoted your life to that one thing, and then...poof. Just gone in a heartbeat."

"Yeah, I've been getting that feeling lately, like you've lost all uniqueness," Lincoln said, "but what does that have to..." Then, his mind started playing the connections game again, "Wait...you went to Phantom Task willingly?!"

"Yeah," Margo said, only divulging to Lincoln a part of the truth to why she joined, "Just like you sought to escape your sisters' shadows in the IS Academy, I went to Phantom Task to escape Lynn's shadow."

"To them?" Lincoln was bewildered, "But, why? Do you even know what they're capable of? What kind of people they are?!"

"They're a band of misfits, to put it very nicely," Margo said, "Just like me, they're victims of a world that does not want them to have a place in it."

"Is that what they told you?..."

"Hey, I didn't buy it at first," Margo said, "but Jesus, their upbringings...they made an organization all their own, just the three of them. How amazing it that?"

"And...you're part of it?"

"I asked them to join," Margo nodded, "and they simply said-"

_("I don't see why not.")_

_("Usually, we have to go find them. It's unheard of for someone to actually seek us out.")_

"-and after that, it was just smooth sailing."

"Uh...ok?..." Lincoln grew more concerned, "Define smooth sailing..."

"Sure, ok!" Margo seemed almost too happy for his liking, but nevertheless, Lincoln had to follow through with the conversation in order to determine Margo's true alignment. She motioned him to come in close to whispering range, "Let me clue you in on a little secret."

"Uh... ok?" Lincoln leaned in and put his ear against her mouth.

Margo then whispered into his ear, "...Phantom Task hijacked the Golem and sent it off."

Lincoln went pale. So many questions filled his mind. The Golem has an unregistered IS core, meaning that only Tabane Shinonono could've made that core, and maybe the IS. If that's the case, how did Phantom Task manage to safely secure that IS and core without any consequences to them? How did they reprogram that IS to move on its own? How did they hijack an IS that had a relatively brand new core? Was Tabane in cahoots with Phantom Task? Did Tabane allow it to happen, or worse yet, order it to happen? And why would the Golem attack the IS Academy, and aim a giant F—K YOU laser right at Houki, younger sister of the very person who made the Golem's core? Was all that a lie, and a third party was involved?

"Phantom Task did that..." Lincoln murmured.

"Yeah, not exactly," Margo scratched her neck, "I just put that idea to them, and then...well, it took off and did its thing. I didn't mean for you to get caught in that scuffle."

Back outside, Night Club and High Card were appalled by what they just heard.

"Dude! Dude dude dude dude dude dude!" Night Club was freaking out, "She was in on it the whole time?!"

"Welp..." High Card shook her head, "Is this major plot twist somewhat alright, or downright stupid..." she closed the app and went back to her communication app, "Suit, change of plans. Keep Lynn away from Burpin' Burger."

Strong Suit and Lynn were still in park trying to talk the night away, right beside yet another IS demonstration, when Strong Suit got the message to keep out of the burger joint. On speakerphone, "Huh? Why what happened?"

"Phantom Task has assimilated Margo into their mindset," High Card responded, "She's one of them."

Strong Suit dropped her dumbbells, "...you're kidding..."

"What?" Lynn asked, "What's happening?"

Strong Suit grabbed Lynn's shoulders, "Listen to me. Whatever you do, you cannot go downtown."

"Huh? Why not?"

"Things are gonna heat up, and not in a good way."

Lynn raised an eyebrow, "You mean...he's in trouble?!"

"High and Night are on the scene," Strong Suit said, "We can take them."

"Are you kidding?!" Lynn shouted, "You just got done telling me that the heat's rising!" She started to run, "No way, I gotta-AAAAGH!" But three stomps on the ground was enough to ignite the pain in her legs.

"See what I mean?" Strong Suit said, "Your lightning rod's crumbled from overuse. You're in no condition to fight."

"But..." Lynn was wincing from the pain, "We have to do something..."

"Yeah, you do. You need to keep away from them."

"And why, may I ask?"

"Because if those bad people see you, they'll use you to get to Lincoln," Strong Suit picked her up, "No, you need to stay hidden and not let anyone see you," and carried her out of the park, in the direction of Clyde's house.

"I can't hide forever, you know," Lynn said, "Sooner or later, it'll get out of hand, and-"

"And we'll let everyone in sight know what's up."

"Dangit, why are you doing this? If you're gonna smack talk me for all my luck crud, why are you making me hide?"

"Umm..." Strong Suit thought for a moment and said, "...maybe because Ace can't stop thinking about you?"

"The heck?"

"Hello? Japan? Body doubles? Near perfect mirror personality match? Every day, he's gotta stare at what could've been, and what has been."

Lynn pondered at the thought. She wondered whether or not Lincoln saw her in someone else, or whether or not he put only her best qualities into Strong Suit and disregarded her worst qualities...thereby creating the perfect version of her.

Back at Burpin' Burger, Lincoln's brain was in shambles due to the revelation, "You really sent that Golem?"

"It was supposed to be mine, but I got a different one," Margo said, "But that's the power of Phantom Task, dude. They can do stuff no one else can do. And they want you to be a part of it."

"Me?" Lincoln asked, "Partner with Phantom Task? No, no, that's not happening."

"Come on, Lincoln," Margo leaned in, "Don't you feel stifled under the pressure of IS Academy? Not with what happened a month after you moved in?"

"Well," Lincoln was reminded of the photo disaster that befell him and his friends, "It was bad..."

"Don't you want to escape from that?" Margo said, "I already found my escape, and I couldn't be any happier. I just wanted to do the same for you."

"Really?" Lincoln questioned her motives, "What can you do for me that the IS Academy hasn't done?"

Margo pondered for a moment, "How about..." and then attempted to bait him, "...a way to destroy the cycle?"

Lincoln flinched, "How?! H-how did..."

"Well..." Margo murmured, "Lynn and I talked about a lot of things ~~~"

Lincoln had enough. His mind was able to piece everything together, solely based on what Margo said. She was too far gone. She went to Phantom Task for a release from something very very real to him, and she got a different kind of treatment from them. She's driven by the wrong drive, and she was coping with it the wrong way; heck she might be trying to get him in on her shpeal by peering into his personal life, through Lynn. He knew all this, but he couldn't fully diagnose the cause of her staying with Phantom Task, and in his mind, there was only one way to know exactly what drove her to join:

Complete escalation.

"I appreciate the sentiment...but no," he scooted away from her, "I'm not Phantom Task material."

"What're you talking about?" Margo nudged him, "You got the rugged look, the eyes, the hair-"

"That's not what I mean," Lincoln said, "I meant the friends. I know these Phantom Task guys had a rough go from the start, but... I just can't. Something about them rubs me the wrong way."

"Like..."

Lincoln had to keep pushing her, so he did the easy thing and just went vague, "I don't know. It just doesn't feel right."

"Don't you want to get away from it all?" Margo pressed him, "Isn't that why you went to the IS Academy in the first place, to get away from it all?"

"Yeah, but...it's not like I didn't think about them when I made my choice."

"And yet, it followed you. There's no running from it, that much I know. It won't let you go until you choose to fight it, to tear it all down with all your might."

"Are you saying that I have to...tear down everything, including my friends?"

"No," Margo leaned against him, "I'm saying let go of them. That's the only way you'll be able to escape the cycle. To drop them off the ends of existence and never look back."

Lincoln shivered, "Wait...run that last one by me again..."

"Hmm?" Margo looked at him, "Drop them off the ends of existence and never look back?"

_("I can't find the ends of existence either.")_

Then, it clicked. All those times he tried to find the ends of existence to drop his emotional baggage, all those times he spent brooding about his past life, and all those times he couldn't find the them as he was forced to continue walking his path with the baggage still on his back...it's like Strong Suit said; it's wasn't actually baggage. It's actually a very heavy training garb designed to make him stronger. Sure, he can dump it off now, but not only will he be completely exposed to the outside forces without having properly trained himself...but he could lose a vital part of his identity. Sure, that notion was entirely contradictory to that earlier suit he tried to removed due to it carrying a legacy of humiliation. Yes, it's annoying, but it's a small price to pay, as long as he can make it his.

The cycle will end soon for him, and he will be able to remove all that baggage. Just not now. It's not time yet.

"Y'know," Lincoln said, "as much as I want to lose this whole entire emotional baggage, I just realized something."

"What's that?" Margo raised an eyebrow.

"It's on me for a reason, and I can't take it off. Not until I grow strong enough to accept it as a part of me and welcome it with open arms."

"Whoa...we're just throwing around philosophical crap, aren't we?" Margo chuckled.

"It's my way of saying..." Lincoln came out with it, "... Phantom Task did you wrong. And I'm not gonna go down the same path." He immediately scooted away from her and stood up, "I'm sorry... but I can't go along with this. I need to bring you in."

"Huh," Margo laid back on the seat, "So...nothing I say will draw you away from IS Academy?"

Lincoln shook his head.

"Shame..." Margo sighed, "you would've made a killer addition to the team...but, oh well."

Lincoln was right. Margo was fully encased in whatever Phantom Task told her, so she couldn't be reasoned with. That he expected.

What he didn't expect was to be swiftly knocked across the restaurant, crashed against a brick wall, and brought on the floor to his knees, "OW! Agh...wh...what the-ack-" He was grabbed by the neck and thrown through a window, rolling over onto the street, into the path of an oil truck.

"Ace!" Night Club and High Card ran out to save him, but they were knocked away by several green energy balls.

Lincoln saw the oncoming truck and was forced to fully deploy his IS to evade collision. He didn't notice a whitish metallic claw wrap its fingers around his neck and carry him upward. He chucked several card bombs and the hand, but they did nothing. Once he was high in the nighttime sky, he was thrown upward and suddenly pelted with numerous energy balls, which didn't do very much damage, but felt like they did. The impact was so long and so great that when the balls stopped, he momentarily lost consciousness and went into free fall before getting caught five feet from the ground.

High Card and Night Club emerged from the nearby pawn shop, from which everyone saw them blasting into the windows.

"Oh, crud," High Card shook herself off, "First that stupid confession, and now this..." as she looked around and saw many people coming to their aid.

"Never mind that!" Night Club pointed up to the sky, "Look who caught him!"

High Card's eyes widened with horror, "Th...that's the-"

High in the night sky, was the Silverio Gospel, the all-powerful Gen 3.5 model. In its cockpit was none other than Margo.

"Whoa..." Margo whispered, "This thing is amazing...I feel like I can do anything..." Then, she saw an arrow on her far right side of her HUD, and thanks to that, she was able to catch a 45-lb free weight. But in that moment of distraction-

"*GASP* GET AWAY!" Lincoln woke up and hit her with the 52-Card Pickup. Halfway through the combo, he could see exactly what he was up against. Right when he was about to finish the combo, his enemy quickly broke away from him and countered his entire card flurry with a flurry of energy balls.

Once that brief exchange was over, Lincoln fully absorbed his surroundings. He saw Margo in the very same angelic IS he was sent to retrieve, "Margo? Those wings? Where did they come from?"

"I thought you would know by now, Linky-dink," Margo said as she charged at him.

Lincoln tried to block her punch, but he ended up getting pushed all the way across the town. Margo grappled his forearms and flipped under, kicking his legs and breaking his guard. Then, she spun around, allowing her wings to slam into him and knock him into a forest. He broke several trees and plowed into the ground, digging up a huge trench as he slid to a halt.

"Agh...ow..." Lincoln groaned as he pulled himself out of the dirt, "Clarissa, come in...we have a problem..."

"What's wrong, Loud?" Clarissa commed back.

"It's Margo...she currently pilots the Silverio Gospel..."

"...**what?**..."

"Our intel was wrong..." Lincoln panted into the communication channel, "Margo sought out Phantom Task of her own volition...She willingly accepted the Silverio Gospel as her own..."

"Understood!" Clarissa shouted, "I have your location! I'll be there in five minutes!"

Just then, the trees surrounding him were instantly blasted away by the Gospel's spray attack.

"Hurry..." Lincoln disconnected as he readied two full hands, preparing to do battle with Margo and the Gospel.

Margo slowly floated down to Lincoln's level, an intense aura emitting from her, "You know, this thing was supposed to do a test run. Feel like helping me put it through the ringer?"


	34. Ocean's Thirty-Three

Meanwhile in Great Lakes City, the Louds and Casagrandes were enjoying the Thanksgiving Eve dinner to their fullest extent possible, which didn't amount to much considering the context.

"Turkey skin-infused stuffing's coming round!" Lynn Sr declared, "Who wants up?!"

"Me! Me! I want some!" CJ waved his hands.

"In that case," Luna held up her plate, "lemme have some extra kick in my tamales!"

"Ok, ok! Coming round!" Rosa passed her bowl around the table, "Take all you can handle!"

"I gotta admit," Bobby nudged Lori, "This is a pretty cool Thanksgiving we've got going on."

"You're telling me," Lori nodded, "especially since..." and then her smile promptly faded, but she quickly shook her head, "...no, never mind."

"Yeah," Ronnie Anne whispered, "I know. It's ok."

"Is it really?"

"Well, no, but..." Ronnie Anne looked on as the rest of the familial gathering ate to their heart's content.

After dinner, the people gathered round the rug to share any stories they could muster. But no matter how bizarre or what kind of experience they shared, they always came back to the war.

"And then," Luan said, "me and Benny were trapped in this giant cesspool of human sweat and odor, like a fog blanketed over the sky and suffocated us in a musty wind of-"

"Ok, ok, enough!" Lola and Carlotta covered her mouth, "TMI!"

"So, what's the punchline this time?" Lana asked.

"Huh?" Luan raised her eyebrows.

"What wonderful punny one liner did you whip out?" Carlos pegged.

Luan felt so many eyes on her. She slowly lost her enthusiasm from earlier and looked down, "There wasn't one. Everyone fought for Royal Woods or Hazeltucky, so..."

"Whoa-hup-up-up-up!" Rosa quickly diverted the conversation, "How about we talk our Black Friday battle plan, eh? Anybody got any ideas?"

"Well, we could check out that fútbol game tomorrow," Frida suggested.

"No go, mama," Carlino stopped her, "Remember what happened to Papa last time he went to a game?"

"It's not as bad as you think, son," Carlos said.

"You got mauled by Royal Woods fanboys! How's that not as bad?!"

"Like you and your friends were any better!"

"I told you they were-"

"Please, enough! No more!" Frida stopped them.

Just in time too, because hearing someone bring the war into this conversation for the umpteenth time really got onto Lori's nerves.

Carlino pouted, "Well, at least I know I'm in good hands," then turned a loving brow to Lori, "Isn't that right, ma Cherie?"

"Uh, not with you," Lori said rather bluntly.

"Huh? What're you on about now?" Carlino asked, to which he received a very revealing answer.

As in, Lori revealed to both families in front of him, "You've been eyeing me ever since we've arrived here with that lustful gaze. To which I say, I will have none of that."

Everyone gasped.

"Whoa! Young perv alert!" Carlota immediately said.

"Dang, bro," CJ commented, "You're a lot older than you look."

Leni gasped, "Is he an really old man?!" To Carlino's annoyance.

"Nah, he's too short to be old," CJ responded.

"Will you get off my case?!" Carlino shouted.

"Shouting is a very confirmed admission of guilt," Lisa shook her head.

"I don't want any half pints gunning after me like that..." Luan muttered.

"You're not helping!" Carlino tried to cover their mouths, but he was stopped by Maria.

"Carlino, mi sobrino," Maria put her hand on his shoulder, "Is this true?"

"No, it's not like that!" Carlino stammered, "Just a friendly banter of life and stuff!" He then turned to Lori in a panicked state, "Right?"

"Wrong," Lori turned away from him, "It's not that different from using your sister's mascara to scribble my face on your belly! Spoilers, Carlota, btw."

"HAH?! So, that was you, after all!" Carlota reacted.

"Lori, are you ok?" Bobby asked, "You didn't react like that when Carlino tried to flirt with you a few weeks ago."

"Yeah, but that was before Little C here tried to pin this whole war on Lincoln," Lori retorted.

"Huh?!" Carlino quickly called her bluff, "I didn't say Lincoln!"

"Ok, that's enough!" Lynn Sr stepped in the middle of the circle, "No more of this war crud! We've all had a long month, so let's get our minds away from that, alright?!"

"Actually," Arturo stepped in, "I don't think that's possible."

"What? Why's that?" Lynn Sr asked, to which he was directed to a certain piece of paper Ronnie Anne kept hidden in her hoodie.

Until now, "It's an email Lincoln sent me before Halloween. He recounted how a middle school bully was pounding on Lynn...and how Lincoln had to step in and stop the fight."

The entire Loud family sat in silence.

Luna quickly tried to deflect the subject, "Uh, hey, I thought we were trying to get away from the whole war thing! You know, shoot a breeze, forget our troubles type thing?"

"Not possible," Lucy said.

"What? Come on! Anything's possible!"

"Not if he told Ronnie Anne," Lucy pointed out, "And if he told her, who else could he have told? I doubt that his friends overseas don't know."

"He'd have to figure out that that was a family secret!" Luna protested.

"Was," Lucy said, then turned to Ronnie Anne and Bobby, "Not anymore." And then everyone turned their heads in the same direction and read the email paper.

And their jaws dropped. Lincoln's description of that was word for word the sequence of events that occurred.

"So, this is the reason you've effectively blocked him from all communication?" Lisa asked Luan.

"Don't look at me!" Luan snapped, "It was Lori's idea to cut him off!"

"That's what Leni told me!" Lori shouted, "She misunderstood the order!"

"All I heard was, HE KNOWS! HE KNOWS EVERYTHING!" Leni said, "Lynn and Luna were the ones freaking out."

"Oh, just because we're the rowdy ones?" Luna retorted, "You have a knack for forgetting things!"

And the teens were trapped in an argument, while those that were younger than Lincoln could only stare at the email, completely shocked and awed by what was happening.

"Uh...that sucker punch thing..." Lana asked, "Did that really happen?"

"He told me so," Ronnie Anne said, "Sucks that Lynn had to chicken out. I would've gotten a ton of answers from her."

"We don't know that!" Lola stuttered, "He's just got a hyperactive imagination! Yeah, that's it! He's just making it up!"

"I'm afraid he's not," Maria scooted beside Lola, "I was the nurse who attended to him and Lynn that day. Lynn recalled everything, but he suffered a concussion that caused short term memory loss."

"Hah?!" Lola jolted, "But...then, that means..."

Rita noticed how Luna and Luan were almost at each other's throats and decided to end it before it began, "OK, THAT'S ENOUGH!" And everyone fell silent. Rita regained her composure long enough to make another statement, "Look, we're somewhere very far from home, and yet you've brought those antics here! Can't we get through one day without causing up a ruckus? We're guests at someone else's home! What would our hosts think about us?!"

"I know what I would think," Hector interrupted, "I think maybe you should leave."

This shocked the Louds and half the Casagrandes. Normally, Rita would be among the shocked, but with all the parties she tried to throw at the Loud House in the past, she never stopped thinking about that possibility, "There. See? We're out of here." She then turned to Hector, "I am so sorry for their behavior. I wish I could do something about-"

"I know. I know," Hector nodded and patted her back, "but we've been through a lot, as Carlino made very clear. I think...maybe this was a bad idea, yeah?"

"Yeah," Rita nodded in agreement, "We'll leave."

"Seriously?!" Lori protested, "Are we literally gonna just walk out of here like that?!"

Lynn Sr was just as confused, "We're not really going to...going to..." he lost his steady posture once he saw Rita touch the door, "...are we?"

"Do they really need to go, abuelo?" CJ asked.

"I think it's for the best," Hector nodded.

Meanwhile, Kim's team was watching more of the drama unfold, seeing some of the Casagrandes swipe verbal jabs with the Louds, while zooming a camera in on the letter email.

"Jesus..." Kim gasped, "He had his first brush with death early on..."

"Does everyone in that family have a demented sense of existence?" Akina quipped.

"Such is the cruel side effect of being a lightning rod," Tomoya said, "The path of a hero is often a treacherous one."

"You got that right," Akina got up from the couch and retrieved a bottle of water from the master bedroom, where she stumbled upon Akane, "Did anything happen outside?"

"I think so," Akane pointed to the laptop, "See that linear blur?"

Akina saw a very faint diagonal line coming from an alley, "Yeah...is that a laser?"

"One that can't be seen by the naked eye," Akane changed cameras to the parking lot garage, "and whoever set it up has a really good eye. It went through a window, and right into Vanzilla."

"That is good...Are they gonna jump them at the garage?"

"Possibly, though no one's come down there yet," Akane said before the group heard the door opening, "Go tell Kim what we found."

"Right," Akina jumped back into the living room, "Kim? There's a laser disabling Vanzilla."

"I know," Kim said, "We'll go down there together. I'll buy you some time to destroy the laser."

"Good deal," Akina nodded, "I have a pretty good idea where it is."

Kim and Akina stepped into the hallway just in time to witness-

"AT LEAST HE'S GOT THICKER SKIN THAN YOU, WEENIE!" Lola

"AT LEAST I AIN'T AN OVERUSED DOORMAT, PENDEJA!" and Carlino get into a shouting match.

"Carlino," Frida yanked his ear and dragged him back inside.

"Wow...rough day?" Akina whispered.

"Take the ladder," Kim nudged, then approached the Louds as they were leaving, "Excuse me? I'm from the apartment next door, and there was a lot of shouting going on."

"Oh, that's nothing, sister," Lola quickly spilled the beans, "You should've heard what was-"

"Can it, Lols!" Luna quickly covered her mouth and turned to Kim, "Pay no mind to Lola. She's still very riled up."

"About what?" Kim asked.

"Sorry, we've overstayed our welcome," Rita pulled Luna and Lola back to her side, "We should really be going."

While Kim tried to keep the conversation going, Akina sneaked behind the group, climbed out of the window, and jumped down, deploying and quickly retracting the wing units to land safely on the ground.

"Cool beans," Akina muttered, "Now, if I were trying to fry an old hunk of rust, where would I be..." she walked around the block until she felt a very sharp pain in her thigh, "YOWCH!" She jumped backwards, "The hell did that come from?!" When she bent over to rub her thigh, she felt a little warmth in her hair, "Huh?" She looked up, and although she couldn't see it, she could definitely feel the intensity of the laser, "Gotcha."

By the time Akina found the laser, Kim was already at the underground garage entrance with some of the Louds, looking slightly disturbed, "How could you?...Your own brother..."

"Shouldn't have told her our lives' story..." Luna groaned.

"We just did what came naturally," Lucy said.

"It's not like we could help it or anything!" Lola sighed, "He was just too easy to take advantage of!"

"By a cruel scheme that's technically been in the works since his first day in kindergarten?" Kim shook her head, "How is it you only now feel ashamed?"

"Ok, ok, we're not the ideal family. We get it," Lori grumbled.

"Surely, you don't have any family issues to put up with?" Lisa asked.

"Oh, I'm an only child," Kim wagged her hand, sending several eerie eyes towards her, causing her to mask a not-so-subtle grin, "Oh...did I touch a few nerves?"

Thankfully, Lynn Sr and Lana came back to them with some news.

"So, someone fried the pistons and spark plug, and cut several wires," Lana said, "We don't know what'll happen if we start'er up."

"In other words, we're stuck in this rotten building," Lynn Sr pouted.

While the other Louds voiced their complaints, Kim tapped her ear and silently whispered her concern, "Akina? Did you find the laser?"

"Yep," Akina commed back, "Already destroyed, and very high quality tech. Whoever did this must've really not wanted them to leave."

"Which means, we may be dealing with a dangerous group of criminals," Kim mused, "Go back inside. I fear they may have already made their move."

"We're already tracking them," Tomoya suddenly interrupted, "Two perpetrators entering from the window, and a faint IS signature 10km west of here."

"Does that mean?..." Akina seemed a little too hopeful saying that.

"Change of plans," Kim responded, "Akina, head west and find the hidden IS."

"I'm on it, boss!" Akina ran out of the alley and suddenly deployed fully, floating out of the Louds' range of sight before blasting off into the sky. Not quite out of their range of hearing.

And they all heard a whimper of a rocket blast.

"Did you hear that?" Lucy asked.

"Hear what?" Lana blurted.

"Like a small frantic whisper in the night..."

"I think those tamales demolished your _sound_ mind," Luan grinned and nudged Lucy.

"Still too soon," Lucy shook her head before hearing a small clanking outside, "And now there's that."

"Boy, the wind must be really picking up," Leni thought.

"There's no wind anywhere," Lori said.

But Kim knew better. Someone was on the emergency ladder, and it wasn't Akina or the exam proctors, "Miss Tachibana?"

"Confirmed, two pairs of intruders, one by the lobby, the other entering the Casagrandes floor," Tomoya commed, "We will intercept upstairs. You stay with the Louds."

"Understood," Kim said, attracting the attention of Rita.

"Did you say something?" Rita asked.

"No! Nothing at all!" Kim waved her hands, "Just thinking to myself!"

"You better go, then," Rita responded, "We'll be fine."

"Um...ok," Kim nodded and walked away. She had already thought ahead about how to catch the Louds' attention and warn the intruders. While walking, she scanned the immediate environment and noticed a very light breathing from nearby. She went in that direction and prepared herself to encounter some kind of flying projectile. And sure enough, a collar-type object came flying at her from behind a car.

But instead of dodging it, "Hmph," Kim let it catch her neck and tug her away, allowing her to let out a huge scream and alert the Louds, "Gack-AAAAAGH-"

"What was that?" Leni and Luan were the first to hear it.

"I knew it," Lucy said, "There is someone hear."

"You don't think it's those cats, do you?" Lana quipped.

"It's not cats, dunce!" Lori snapped.

The entire family got tense. They kept silent for a few seconds, listening to the sound of roughhousing and grunting. Then...dead silence.

"Who's there?" Rita whispered.

"Stay back!" Lola held out her tiara like a dagger, "I know how to use this!"

Once again, nothing. No sound.

Lynn Sr stepped out in front, "Come out of your hiding place and we can talk it out. We don't need to escalate this."

Again, nothing. No sound.

Luna pulled out her guitar, "Hey, hombres! Why don'tcha come out and take one like a champ?!"

Again...nothing. No sound. For a couple seconds.

Once those seconds were passed, they were greeted by Kim, who was thrown over the cars and tumbled over to Lori's feet, bound, gagged, and bruised.

"Whoa!" Leni knelt down and tried to undo the binds, "Kim, what happened-AGH!" only to get hit by a tranquilizer dart.

"Leni!" Luan and Lynn Sr tried to wake her up, only to get darted as well.

Then, a voice from behind the cars, "Now, why'd you have to go and ruin the fun like that, huh?"

"That voice!..." Luna growled.

"Oh no..." Lucy seemed to recognize that voice, "Was that Hawk?"

"Not just me, little emo," Hawk stepped outbod the shadows and into the moonlight, along with Juniper, and a pair of dart guns.

Juniper took out a retractable sling rope and eyed Luna very hatefully, "Remember me, queefo?"

"I do," Luna hissed, "You started all this..."

"Now, we're gonna end it!" Lana and Lola screamed.

All the siblings, minus Lily, charged at the lone-standing duo, only to get darted down and roped together in a split second. Kim muffled in horror; she tried to deploy her IS, but the collar prevented her from doing so.

Lynn Sr and Rita knew what kind of situation they were in: they just saw all their daughters get taken down by a couple of thugs. Even if they could call for help, they themselves would be halted mid-call, or worse. But Lily didn't know that; all she knew was that her older sisters were trapped on the ground and she yelled at them to get up and save themselves, and for that she too received a dart. Only, she got one after her father and mother tried to shield her from the initial shots.

"We didn't need Luna in that bundle," Hawk nudged Juniper.

"I know, but it's no fun just separating them right off the bat," Juniper grinned.

"Heh, can't deny that," Hawk grinned sadistically as he stared at Luna's now motionless, tender sleeping face.

Back in the apartment, Carlino was arguing with his immediate family members about his behavior, "Why are you blaming me for this?"

"You couldn't go one minute without bringing that stupid war into this!" CJ griped.

"How many times have I told you to behave yourself, Carlino?!" Frida got onto him, "This is exactly why I didn't want you to participate!"

"But it's true, isn't it?!" Carlino stood firm, "Thanks to that, Ronnie Anne is probably having a mental breakdown-OWOWOWOWOWOW!"

Maria patted his shoulder and sat him down, "That's enough. You've been more than a mouthful this evening. Maybe you should go to sleep."

"What?!" Carlino revolted, "You're just gonna take their side?!"

"Carlino, enough!" Hector snapped, which made Carlino freeze in place, "I think you better go to sleep."

"Fine! See if I care!" Carlino stormed out of the main living room and went back to his bedroom.

He stomped past Ronnie Anne's room, which had an atmosphere of uncertainty and longing, all because of one certain paragraph that Ronnie didn't show anyone, but she kept reading over and over:

**...If Bobby and Lori get married, we'll be siblings. We wouldn't be able to date anymore. But maybe that's for the best, as the only reason we met was because of pranks and a punch. And the reason why we kept going on each other was because we didn't know any better, because we didn't think to ask...**

"Didn't think to ask?..." She repeated, "What does that even mean?..." because she herself didn't know. All she knew was that something happened to Lincoln to make him throw their relationship into question.

Just then, she heard a knock on her door, "Ah! What the-"

"Relax! Relax, it's just me," it was Carlos.

"¿Papa?" Ronnie Anne sighed, "What're you doing here?"

"Just thought I'd see how you're doing," Carlos said while sitting beside Ronnie, "You left right after the Loud family left."

"Well...it's just..." Ronnie couldn't put it in coherent words, so she went with, "Did you know anyone from middle school?"

"Well, that's an odd thing to ask..." Carlos immediately thought something about her was off, but just ran with it to see where the conversation would lead, "I didn't have any time for relationships back then. I just buried myself in my studies, that's all."

"Oh..." that wasn't the answer Ronnie Anne was hoping for, "So, you didn't have to worry about that kind of stuff."

And from her mood, and her choice of words, Carlos was able to discern the source of her downtrodden behavior, "Did Lincoln doubt you?"

"Huh?!" Ronnie Anne jolted, "I didn't say that! Where the heck did you figure that?!"

"Well, you still have his email in the open," Carlos said.

Ronnie crumpled the paper and threw it away.

"Haha, don't worry," Carlos said, "Your secret's safe with me."

"Are you sure you can keep a secret?" Ronnie asked.

"Hey, nothing that enters my brain leaves it," Carlos quipped.

"Well," Ronnie Anne nodded, "If you say so."

"But I do have to ask," Carlos said, "If you truly did like him, then why did you punch him in the eye that day? Surely you must've known that it would have some kind of repercussions?"

Ronnie Anne gave it a long thought. When he kissed him, she punched him. And even before then, she pulled a ton of pranks on him. But why? She couldn't say that it was because of how she was raised to always fend for herself. She couldn't easily say that Lincoln made her feel tender and loving about him and how that could've opened her up to vulnerability; she knew there was something deeper. She couldn't just say that she pranked him just to try to cover up that weakness, and she definitely couldn't say that she punched him because she flat out mentally shut down for that one instant. There had to be a reason for all of that. There had to be a reason why Lincoln still thought of her even after dropping the ball on her.

And she did start to form a reason, "Well... I always thought that it was-"

But as she was starting to form a coherent thought, she and Carlos heard several loud THUDS nearby.

"What was that?" Ronnie wondered.

"Probably Lalo acting up again," Carlos thought.

At least until they heard their pudgy Mastiff Lalo barking at someone, only to get struck unconscious.

"What about that?..." Ronnie clinched her fists.

"Definitely Lalo," Carlos instinctively reached for his phone, but when he tried to call the police, it showed an error message, "No signal..." he turned to Ronnie Anne, "Mi hija, we're being invaded."

"Yup," Ronnie grabbed a pair of tennis rackets and flew out of the room, and into a spritz of Peter spray, "What the-AAAAAAAAAGH!" Before long, she was on the floor sprawling in pain, "¿QUIÉN HARÍA ESO?"

Suddenly, Janice clocked her from behind, "¡Maldita perra!"

"Ronalda!" Carlos tried to rush to his fallen daughter, but he was stopped by a punch to his gut. He keeled over on all fours before he was uppercutted in the face. His head hit the wall and slid down to the floor, but he was able to get a glimpse of who decked him before he lost consciousness, "Wha...Hank?..."

"And stay down," Hank whispered before Carlos slumped to the floor.

Janice surveyed the ruckus they caused. They snuck in through the emergency window and downed the parents first, then the children, and finally Carlota, who put up the most fight. Even Tomoya and Akane were no match for them, as Hank pulled out an unbelievable amount of gadgets. Now, they all lay in the hallway, along with broken frames and ruined furniture.

"Everything is a-ok," Janice gave Hank a thumbs up.

Hank nodded, "Bind them."

Meanwhile, Akina was flying over the city when she found where the mystery signal was coming from, "Kim. I've located the signal." No response. "Kim? Hello? Anybody?" She was interrupted by an incoming projectile, "Hm?...Tally-ho!" She pulled out her combat knife and sliced the projectile in two, "Sticky web? Oh no..." She descended, touching down on an alleyway and revealing her semi-automatic, "Ok, spiderling! Show yourself!"

Just then, an eerie laughter swept across the alley.

"I'm gonna ask again! Show yourself!" Akina shouted.

"Really?" A female voice boomed, "They sent a fledgling pilot?"

"Fledgling, my ass!" Akina got heated, "I warned you!" And fired at a direction she thought the voice was coming from. The bullets passed by several houses and hit the target square in the head.

"AAAAGH!"

"How'd you like that?!" Akina shouted, "Still think I'm a fledgling?!"

"You little!..." the target jumped high in the sky, "Take this!" and fired several bullets at Akina. Akina pulled out a shield and blocked the bullets while using semi to shoot the target down. But the target shrugged them off and descended hard, and Alina swapped her shield with her knife and tried to strike at the target's underbelly. But the target suddenly sprouted eight legs and pushed Akina aside, knocking her into the wall of another apartment complex.

Akina quickly recovered and flew above the buildings, "Whew...close one..." She then noticed that her target only stood and watched her fly up, "What's the matter?! Got nothing in you?!"

The target looked at Akina, then at her surroundings, and said out loud, "I can't fly."

"Huh?" And with a stroke of horror in her eyes, Akina realized what she had opened herself to.

"So many buildings with so many people...so much collateral damage to wreak onto the people here..." the target sighed.

"You better not!" Akina aimed a rifle at her.

"Oh, I don't have to," the target said, "There's some people that'll do it for me."

"Wha..." Akina gasped, "You mean-OOF!" She got hit with an energy blast and grappled downward into a leg, "OOGH?!"

"Those poor thugs..." the target hissed, "What would ever become of them when I lose?"

"You mean...Hank and Hawk..." Akina grunted, "They're just..."

"Yep. Disposable," the target wistfully said as she threw Akina into a backyard, attracting the attention of the residents.

"What's the big idea?!" Someone shouted.

"Uhhh..." Akina winded, "Just a night out?..."

"Get that hunk of metal off our law-" a neighbor was interrupted by a few energy blasts striking Akina and the building.

"Dude!" Akina screamed, "The hell was that for?!"

"It's your fault for not blocking them," the target just kept at it, putting pressure on Akina to hurry and find an opportunity to counter attack.

Meanwhile, back in Japan, Ichika was having an epiphany. This feeling of oneself and isolation was definitely not new; he just never had time to contemplate that feeling because of the house chores. But now that he was completely by himself, he had the time to reflect on everything that's happened to him this semester, and to his surprise, it wasn't entirely IS related. There was indeed the thought of having to live under the shadow of his more capable sister, but that's been dominated by the thoughts of other girls. Specifically: Houki's tendency to express her feelings physically, not verbally; Cecilia's now discernible, and unrealistic, expectations of her perfect man; and Rin's haphazardly sporadic behavior.

Why are they so attached to him, aside from that X-factor? If he weren't childhood friends with Houki and Rin, what would they think of him? If he didn't try to put up with Cecilia's antics, what would she think of him?

This made him glad he decided to push them off because now he can spend time actually getting to know himself better, starting with his status as an IS pilot.

"Man, oh man," Ichika muttered, "Have I been going about things the wrong way..."

"And what way have you been drifting from?"

Ichika recognized that slightly commandeering voice, "It's nothing, Laura-eh?"

Laura and Charlotte had decided to meet him at the Fuji-san lookout point.

"We heard what you were saying about the other girls," Laura said.

"Only because they came to us and..." Charlotte cupped her forehead, "...unloaded all their frustrations on us."

"Such mental torture is paltry for me," Laura remarked.

"Uh..." Ichika blinked, "did you need anything from me?"

"As a matter of fact, yes," Charlotte turned her gaze to the majestic mountain, "Why did you reject them? Cecilia, I understand, but Rin? And Houki?"

"Is that what they told you?" Ichika said, "I mean, yeah, I said I couldn't get comfortable with anyone, but how would-"

"Oh, Ichika..." Charlotte sighed after hearing that line, "Sometimes, I really do wonder if you do things like that on purpose..."

"What are you talking about?" Ichika asked.

"You mean, you truly don't know?" Laura stepped in, "I suppose not. You must've been gathering intel on the rumors when Mentor revealed a telling tactic."

"Laura?" Charlotte tried to caution her.

"What tactic?" Ichika was quick to catch, "What did my sister tell you?"

"Uh, I wouldn't-" Charlotte was powerless to stop them.

Laura recalled last night's chance conversation with Chifuyu, "I believe she said..."

_("If you're a real woman, you've got to be willing to do whatever it takes to nuke your rivals. Get with the program, kiddos. Ok?")_

"...something to that effect."

"And now, I have questions about her, too," Ichika reeled.

"Just like that?" Charlotte slumped, "Has your trust in those closest to you dropped like that?"

"I...well, maybe a little..." Ichika admitted, "I think I've started to question why is it that I'm the target of their affections. I mean, there's a ton of other guys, right?"

"Yes, but none of them are IS pilots," Laura said.

"But...what if I wasn't a pilot? What if I never stumbled upon that IS in that chance room? What would they think of me then?"

"Wow..." Charlotte said, "That's a very bold question to ask."

"Is this a form of psychological warfare?" Laura was interested.

"On the plane of emotions, yeah," Ichika nodded, "I was going to lose until I pushed Rin and Houki away from me to recalibrate my thoughts. And the more I tune them, the more I start thinking...why me?"

"Do you know why you?" Charlotte asked.

"Well...no, not yet," Ichika stared at the giant mountain, "but I know I have to figure it out soon if I'm gonna stand on my own two feet."

Charlotte and Laura looked at him for a minute. Then, Charlotte said, "So, you're finally ready to get your mind together?"

"Yep," Ichika nodded, "and there's plenty of things I have to do before I get started in a few...hours."

"It's good that you acknowledge the fact now so you can plan for the future," Charlotte pointed out, "but ultimately pointless when you don't have a foundation."

"I know that... I should probably start by telling the others, yeah?"

"Indeed, you should," Charlotte agreed, "and we will help you break the news."

"We will?" Laura was a bit surprised.

"But, of course," Charlotte took Laura's and Ichika's hands, "After all, there's no telling what some of these girls are capable of."

"What, are you my bodyguards now?"

"I doubt they can put up a fight," Laura retorted.

"Not in their ISs, maybe..."

As the trio walked back to the resort, Chifuyu was in a nearby ramen bar when she noticed an unusually high level of whispering and turned around. She saw Charlotte, Ichika, and Laura walking along the crowded road, and immediately thought that Ichika had finally learned something worthwhile from this trip.

"Bro, whatever you're planning," she muttered, "do it before nightfall." But as she was muttering her thoughts, she caught a ray of sun in her eyes and blinked. When she opened them, she swore she saw silhouettes of Charles, Ichika, and Lincoln, walking side by side, laughing the day away. Seeing that brought up a hidden memory of that one moment when it was just Chifuyu, Ichika, and his twin sister, hanging out in a park picnic, the day before crud hit the fan.

"Ugh...what is happening to me?..." Chifuyu rubbed her eyes and downed another bowl before managing to calm her nerves with a giant gulp of water.

And Maya was right beside her, "It's not like you to get worked up on a trip day."

"It's nothing you haven't seen before," Chifuyu responded.

"So...does that mean you're actually-"

"Don't."

"Heeheeheeee...ok," Maya gave Chifuyu a peace sign, "Just making sure," and then tiptoed away from her sight."

"Hahhhh...what am I gonna do with these brats..." Chifuyu smirked, then turned her eyes to the trio that returned to Charlotte, Ichika, and Laura, "I wonder how my overseas team is doing..."


	35. Battle of Detroit (Part 1)

Bad. They're doing very bad.

"WAAAAAAA-" BABABABABABABABAM! "-OOOGH-" POW POW POW! CRASH! "-AAAAGH!"

Lincoln was struggling against Margo and her Silverio Gospel. He knew the Gospel was insanely strong, but he hadn't expected to be feeling beaten up in the five minutes time. His most recent exchange was barely holding off a bombardment of energy blasts before a white fist sent him flying across a city, and right into a mountainous valley, crashing into an abandoned cabin.

"Ugh..." Lincoln wavered, "It's nowhere near overclocking it's capacity..."

Suddenly, Clarissa commed over, "You mean that it's fighting at a fraction of its power?!"

"How far are you?..." Lincoln asked before being swatted away again.

"I'm two minutes out!" Clarissa shouted, "Try to hold position!" Then, she disconnected.

Lincoln crashed into the bank of a lake, then rolled over into a tree trunk, "OOF! Uhhhh...not possible..." Just then, Margo descended upon him. When she was just three feet above him, he started to stall for time by trying a conversation, "Margo, why?...You don't really wanna do this, do you?..."

"Really, dude?" Margo taunted, "All this pummeling, all this philosophical BS we've been flinging at each other..." her wings stiffened and prepared to slice at the Savvy Suite, "...and it STILL!" slash "HASN'T!" slash "SUNKEN!" slash "IN!" energy bomb

Lincoln was again flung away. This time, he was sent crashing through a narrow valley road, barely missing a car and digging up a trench before coming to a halt.

"Ugh...dangit..." Lincoln muttered, "She's got the feels..." CRASH! "YOW!" He narrowly dodged a giant tree trunk, "What hasn't sunk in again?!"

He saw Margo rushing to him and threw several cards at her, but she easily dodged them. He then prepared a roundhouse kick, but the instant she came within his kicking range she caught his foot and drove him into the dirt. Then, she threw him upward and let loose another set of energy blasts from her wings, but he was able to block most of them with his wing shield.

"Wow..." Margo muttered, "and I thought you had the most common sense."

"About...what?!..." Lincoln panted, "Just tell me... what I was...supposed to...figure out!..."

"*SIGH* You really haven't internalized everything, have you?" Margo shook her head, "Fine." Then, in a split second, she had elbowed Lincoln in the back of the neck.

"GUHACK?!" Lincoln wilted.

"Maybe this'll kickstart your gears," Margo said and kicked his back.

Lincoln was slammed into the lake, where he was thankfully given some time to mull over everything that has happened thus far. His mind replayed Margo's words over and over, trying to find a connection between them and what was happening now. But no matter what he thought of, none of it made sense. If she really was cast aside because of his sisters, why would she resort to physically harming him? What wasn't he thinking about?

Lincoln broke out of the lake gasping for air. Margo was right behind him.

"Have you finally figured it out?" Margo asked.

"No..." Lincoln muttered, "No I haven't," before engaging in a brief CQC scuffle with Margo, where for a solid minute she effortlessly blocked every single one of his attacks. But that didn't stop him from trying, "And I'd like an actual clue about what you're trying to force down my throat!"

Suddenly, Margo caught his shield, flipped under it, and grabbed both his arms and immobilized him, "Fine. Since you're that much of a dunce, I'll tell you why we're happening." She then kneed his gut and slammed one of her wings against his head, taking his shield energy to dangerous levels and leaving him on dock.

"Ugh...uhh...hhh..." Lincoln was almost done; he and his IS were completely winded from that last attack. The only thing that kept him going was the pack of energy cells Chandler gave him. He took one out of his pocket and crushed it, and that gave him a bit of energy back.

But it wouldn't matter if someone didn't come to save him from Margo. Thankfully, someone did. A random shot came down at Mach-speed, but Margo was able to avoid it, "Who in the-"

Clarissa came down in her own IS, along with Night Club and High Card. They landed on top of the surface of the lake, preventing Margo from taking direct action for the time being.

"Herr Loud, are you well?" Clarissa asked.

"I think so..." Lincoln muttered.

"Ace!" Night Club and High Card jumped back and knelt beside Lincoln.

"So, that's how far you're willing to go, Herr Robins," Clarissa looked at the trio, then turned to Margo, "What reason have you to cause sigh a high degree of pain to someone?"

"Pain...Pain?!..." Margo started quivering once she heard that line, "What the hell do you know about pain?!" She was about to launch another barrage of energy blasts, but she was suddenly grabbed by six wire-guided daggers, coming from Clarissa. Margo engaged in a brief tug of war, "Ugghhhhrrrghh-ASK ME ABOUT PAIN!" She suddenly increased power output, grabbing the wires and violently yanking them, propelling Clarissa towards her. When they were mere feet from each other, "ASK MEEEEEEEE!" She slammed her wings against Clarissa, knocking her against the bank hard enough to make a crater.

"Clarissa?!" Lincoln recovered enough strength to fly at Clarissa's side.

"Oh my..." Clarissa stuttered, nearly winded by the Gospel's insane power output, "What have they been doing?..."

Margo released another energy barrage. Clarissa tried to save them by holding out her hand and emitting an AIC, but all it did was drastically slow down the energy balls. It didn't stop them from phasing through the barrier and exploding the ground around her. Margo concentrated her energy on a single point in front of her and fired off a huge laser. Lincoln jumped in front to shield Clarissa, with High Card and Night Club temporarily amplifying his defensive abilities. They deflected the laser into multiple beams, which spread out and decimated the nearby roads and forest.

Clarissa got up and fired off several railgun shots, one of which Margo didn't see coming and hit her square in the head. The impact lasted only a split second, however, as Margo immediately retaliated by closing ranks and rushing towards the group. She intended to grab Lincoln, but that stray shot allowed him to get away from her grasp, trapping her in Clarissa's AIC.

"What'cha got, High?!" Night Club asked.

"Nothing!" High Card looked at her new phone, "It's cyber defense is crazy!"

"Get your Axe ready," Lincoln said, "We'll have to beat some sense into her."

"Alright, duncauf," Clarissa demanded, "Tell me why you're trying to kill him!"

"Why do you think?!" Margo snapped, "This bastard's been the root of all my crap from over three years ago!"

"Me three?" Lincoln suddenly became intent on the conversation, "The hell are you talking about?!"

Margo swerved her head towards Lincoln. One look in his eyes and she figured out that he really had no clue what he was supposed to know. A sort of evil smirk slowly appeared on her face, "Oh? Lori didn't tell you?"

"Tell me what?" Lincoln asked, then recalled what Margo said recently, "Three years? That was...how did you know about that?"

"Because I was hiding in the trees, out of your field of vision," Margo explained, "I saw everything that happened that day. I'm guessing they didn't tell you anything about that brutal scapegoating for a reason."

"I know," Lincoln engaged in the conversation while Nigh Club and High Card took Clarissa's rear guard, "It's the cause of my torturous adventures, right?"

"Well, there's a little bit of an epilogue..." Margo went on, "You know that person whom you and your sisters accused of beating you and Lynn up?"

"What...what about?" Lincoln said, then sensing a small disturbance in the air coming from Margo.

"Something's coming..." Night Club panicked.

"Clarissa?" High Card saw the AIC wavering.

"I don't know!" Clarissa grunted as she struggled to keep her AIC intact, "It's pure beam energy! But...how?!"

"The person of whom you took the hit..." Margo muttered, "the person your stupid sisters sent to juvie..."

Lincoln instinctively threw his shield at Margo, but it simply bounced off an invisible force field emitted by the pure energy. The force field then exploded, breaking the AIC and allowing Margo to fly high in the sky, "...WAS MY BROTHER!" and let loose an enormous amount of energy balls to decimate the entire valley.

Clarissa defended herself with her AIC, amplified by Night Club and High Card's weapons, while Lincoln hid beneath a huge boulder for cover. Once the blasts stopped, he left his cover and sent several cards skyward, only to find Margo no longer in the sky. He panicked and threw a fist behind him, and sure enough, Margo caught it.

"We were this close to catching the real culprit!" Margo threw him upward, "We could have vindicated him! But you!..." and then fired off a laser, "...YOU HAD TO MAKE HIM A CRIMINAL!"

"What the..." Lincoln was aghast. He did not know that she had a brother. No one did. So many questions ran through his mind, but the most predominant one was: Why was his familial relationship with Margo kept a secret?

But there was no time to think, as Clarissa was on the move, firing her railgun while taking the laser to shield Lincoln, "Focus, Loud! We cannot allow sentimental memories to cloud our judgement!"

"Thanks to you and your not-harem, I'm all alone!" Margo rushed forward, pelting them with energy balls until she got to Clarissa, "You went and framed my brother, and the real bully's still out there ruining more lives!" She screamed as she easily got through Lincoln and Clarissa's combo assault.

"How was I supposed to know that guy was your brother?!" Lincoln said before his neck was caught in her grasp, "ACK-guh...I didn't see you in elementary school...what part of "brother" was I supposed to know?..."

Margo got really angry and blasted him, "Damned little-" BOOM! "-UGH!" Until a shot hit her wings and made her drop him.

"Confirmed hit, no visible damage," Clarissa muttered.

"Fire again!" High Card shouted.

Clarissa fired again, but Margo was able to grab the bullet and redirect it at Lincoln, knocking him out.

"NO!" Night Club lost it, "YOU MONSTER!" She let out a guitar riff that interfered with Margo's energy emission.

"Cover me!" High Card shouted.

"I guess ignorance really is bliss," Margo shook her head and rocketed towards Clarissa.

While that was going on, Lincoln was having a moment in IS subspace. In that same comatose state he was in three years ago, except there was no concussion to allow him to forget. He was just stuck on the black grass, among the blackened sky, with nothing and no one else but his memories, and someone happening among his unconscious body, with some very heavy cargo on her back.

"Holy wow!" It was her-him, carrying three giant bags of recyclables, "You will not believe what I found at the emotional center!" She looked over and saw Lincoln motionless, "Oh my god-dude!" She dropped everything with a hard thud and ran to Lincoln's side, "Dude, you're not supposed to be here! What're you doing taking a nap?! Don't you have a big battle to win?!" She tried to shake him awake, slap him, throw water on him, but nothing worked. He was still trapped in his own mind, "Ohoho, bad! Very bad! I don't like bad! Fix the bad!" Just then, she saw a small bag glowing and ripped it open, "Please let this go in a direction I didn't predict would go..."

The girl found a virtual reality headset and put it on to stop its glowing. When she clicked it in place and turned it on, she saw the Silverio Gospel wreaking havoc on the mountain valley, "Dangit...it's going where I thought it would go..."

Back in the real world, Lincoln's IS was down. Night Club and High Card tried various combination techniques to disable it and allow Clarissa to trap Margo in the AIC, all to no avail. No matter what they tried, the end result was the same: they had to dodge Margo's charges to avoid getting mauled. The only thing they could do was have Night Club keep playing to prevent Margo from properly charging her energy attacks, allowing Clarissa and High Card to engage in CQC just to try and disable Margo. It went on until Margo caught sight of High Card and made a beeline for her.

"Dammit! I'm not fast enough!" Clarissa kept missing shots with her railgun.

"High!" Night Club shouted, "Diamond Flush!"

"I'm good!" High Card set up a reflective barrier around her space when she saw Margo rocketing towards her, "Hold your fire!"

"And to you," Margo hissed, "The sad imitations of the people who started my downward spiral." She slammed her foot down on High Card extremely hard, but in doing so, she was hit with a force equal to that which she exerted, "GUGH?!-" which was enough to disorient her, giving Clarissa time to catch up and freeze her.

Sort of. Night Club's guitar riffs hindered both Margo's energy abilities and Clarissa's AIC. Margo had almost broken free when Clarissa shouted, "Ngh...Night Club, go in now!"

Night Club momentarily stopped playing and fired up her jet pack, "WOOOOOOAAAAAAHAHAHAH-" She hit Margo square in the head, but not before she was full-body slammed by the wings.

"Oh no!" Clarissa dodged the wing strikes, then tried several times to cut them off with her twin blades.

But Margo was able to take the brunt of that assault, as she eventually caught Clarissa's arms. Clarissa tried to launch her wire daggers at the wings, but Margo easily blasted Clarissa into oblivion.

Back in IS subspace...

"AAAAAAGH! THEY'RE GETTING MASSACRED!" The girl screamed and threw off the headset, then went to shake Lincoln's body some more, "Dude, get up! You can't be sleeping at a time like this! THEY NEED YOU HELPMEPPO HELLO?!" She heard even more clanking and screaming coming from the headset and decided to put it on to see more of the fight.

Meanwhile, Margo was engaging in a fierce 3-on-1 with Clarissa, Night Club, and High Card. And it seemed like the trio had found a viable weakness in the Gospel's sensory perception, and Clarissa proceeded to close ranks while firing her railgun nonstop, allowing Night Club and High Card to pin her down.

But then Margo decided to do an energy spray spin attack, spraying energy blasts everywhere and knocking them all down at once. "ENOUGH!" She didn't give them a moment's notice, leaping into the air and eviscerating the landscape with a gigantic green laser. She sprayed it across the forest, giving just enough energy to start a fire, take Night Club and High Card out, and pulverize Clarissa.

"EMERGENCY! EMERGENCY!" The girl screamed and rattled Lincoln even harder, "Wake up wake up wake up wake up please wake up you won't wake up sentient program ok BING BONG!" She couldn't take it anymore and decided to join the fight "virtually", by donning the rest of the VR gear: legs, arms, and all, and put her hands in front of her, "EMERGENCY CODE 266 OVERRIDE!"

Back in the real world, Margo was surveying the fruits of her battle. Amidst the trenches created, Night Club and High Card were immobilized, and Clarissa's IS was nearly destroyed.

Night Club was able to croak out her last line, "Dude...ain't that IS supposed to mirror LaBo's..."

"She damaged Valkyrie Trace before I could use it..." Clarissa grunted, "It needs time to self-repair..." She gasped when she saw Margo towering over her.

"This doesn't involve you," Margo said before aiming her gaze towards the unconscious Night Club. But just when she was about to fire off a laser, she sensed something coming for the back of her neck and blocked it with her arm, "Who the...Wha?!..."

It was Lincoln, face completely covered, walking through the debris to challenge Margo. Or so she thought. In actuality, the lookalike girl had hijacked his IS and taken full control through her VR gear. She took her battle stance and got the Savvy Suite ready for another fight.

"So, the Gospel has Byakugan vision..." the girl muttered, "No worries...just gotta expose that...teeny... tiny...weak spot...oh good gravy..."

"So, you couldn't stay down, could you?" Margo asked.

Lincoln said nothing, but the girl said, "And overpowered...let's see, what do I have to work with?..." she held her hand out, and an item screen popped up on her headset:

ENERGY CAPSULE: 9

DEALER CARD: STRONG SUIT

"THAT'S IT?!" The girl shrieked, "#FML!"

"It's cute you're trying to stick up for your own backstabbing sisters," Margo smirked, "but I don't have time for crap now." She leaped into the air, "I'll deal with these mockeries first!" The instant she fired the laser at High Card, the Suite was already defending her target with the wing shield deflecting the laser, and a flurry of card boms thrown at her, one of which hit her head and caused a misfire. The laser was directed upward, causing it to destroy a radio tower, and several power lines.

"Uhhhh..." High Card was in a daze before the laser hit, "Uh...Ace?..." After seeing the Suite take the brunt of the attack, she finally fizzled out of existence.

"He took that punch no sweat..." Night Club muttered before she too fizzled out of existence.

But somehow, Clarissa was able to see through that maneuver, "No...it's not him... but...how..."

Margo was enraged, "So, you're gonna take hits for her, too?! Fine! Take this!" She charged the Suite and pushed it across the valley.

But the girl was in utter shock, "Do you not see what you did to the world?!" She then opened her arms up, "Wake the hell up already!"

The Suite's arms opened up, allowing Margo to grab its neck and drag it across the grass. But as soon as they hit the main road, the Suite threw several cards at Margo's head, disorienting her and locking her in the 52-Card Pickup. The Suite was able to get in some very heavy hits, but on the final card barrage Margo was able to counter every single card that came her way. Margo then met the Suite punch for punch, kick for kick, until she was able to sneak in a powerful blast into its forearm. She kicked it away and fired another laser, which was deflected by the shield and blew all the way to Royal Woods Softball Stadium.

"Ugh..." the girl groaned, "I had ONE JOB..." then her POV was suddenly rattled, "AAAA-OH MY GOD!"

Margo had gotten a clutch on the Suite and threw it all the way across the field, and back into the urban landscape, where major damage was sure to be done.

"No no no no no!" The girl panicked, "Regain control! Regain control!" She table to keep the Suite from crashing into a car, but there was nothing she could do against Margo's Mach speed punch, which ended up destroying a major freeway, taking it into the slums and crashing into a housing complex. "Yep...Yep..." she winced, "I don't know how it can get any worse, but I'm sure you'll find a way," she said as she triggered the item screen.

Margo was standing over the broken bridge, eyeing the Suite, "Do you have any idea how much pain I was in the day you had your little concussion?"

"Wait-Huh?" The girl stopped and paid attention, "Sure, _now_ you decide to tell me your deal..."

"Before the first day of school," Margo continued, "I was already a target of bullying thanks to my buck teeth and nose, and no amount of plastic surgery could fix them. But my brother had it even worse when he was in elementary school, especially with Lori, who was rumor prone, and when Bobby came into the picture, it got even WORSE!" She slammed her wings against the support beams of the freeway above her, putting it, and its cars, at risk.

"Oh my..." the girl grumbled, "It went way past where I thought it would go..."

"And then, on the first day of my brother's seventh grade, Lori, Luan, and Luna decide to concoct a hairbrained scheme you ruin his social life...one last rumor," Margo said, "and guess what?"

"Oh lord," the girl said, "I didn't think that jealousy would be the high point of this fight..."

"It turned him into a bully himself!" Margo rammed her fist into the Suite's visor, sending it crashing through an abandoned apartment complex.

"Yeah, I'm just gonna let you rant a bit," the girl turned out and made the Suite use three energy capsules.

"He started changing his persona so much that we had to take him to therapy!" Margo walked to the Suite, "He was so far gone, it took years to finally get him back on the road to recover!" But then, she stopped, "But then...then..." she fires another all-powerful laser. The Suite avoided its blast range, but the city took huge damage, "YOU AND LYNN HAD TO RUIN IT ALL!"

"Is this what happens to people who desire power?!" The girl commented, "Dangit, calm down, woman! And, side note, HOW DO YOU KNOW THAT THEY DID IT?! I don't know how you know, so what the hell?!"

Margo plowed through the debris and locked the Suite in a power struggle, "It must be nice having a family who treats you like utter crap and loves you for doing so!"

"Yeah, ok," the girl had enough and made the Suite throw a knee, headbutt, and arm at Margo. And the slap actually hit.

That made Margo lose it and go ape all over the Suite, which couldn't do anything except dodge.

The girl braced herself for another laser blast, "Are you doing this because your thunder got stolen twice, or because Lori ruined your family life?!" The Suite was cornered between three buildings as she saw her POV becoming engulfed in a turquoise aura, "Make up your mind, Blahrgo Margo!"

Meanwhile, back at the Loud House, Lynn was curled up in bed while Strong Suit was watching the sparks fly from the living room window.

"Must be a killer fight up there," Strong Suit commented before calling out to Lynn, "Hey, you wanna check it out?"

"No," Lynn snapped, "And what about you? Aren't you supposed to help your precious 'Ace Savvy'?"

"I could, but you'd follow me out there," Strong Suit smirked, "Are you sure you don't wanna go? I mean, he is your brother after all."

"Not anymore , he ain't. That asshole can go suck it up to his new family!"

"Yikes...then, why are you still in his bedroom?"

"I dunno! Maybe I'm just confused!" Lynn blurted out before realizing what she had just said.

"Conf-wuh?..." Strong Suit caught that word.

"I mean...well, what I meant to say was that I..." Lynn couldn't come up with a good excuse to write off her remark.

"Ok, bro pono," Strong Suit suddenly jumped onto the bed, "What's going through your mind?"

"Well...it...a lot of stuff," Lynn gave up and tried to put her feelings into coherent words, "It's just...he's been my brother for my entire life, and I never thought of it except...well, siblings and...stuff..." she trailed off as she remembered that event on her second day of sixth grade.

"I know where your mind's going, but it ain't all ball like you think. I don't know how you didn't consider it coming back to bite you."

"I didn't think it would bite this hard! How the hell was I supposed to know what I was getting myself into?!"

"Because you're his brother?"

"Well...I just..." Lynn lost her trail of thought again.

"Then, why did you keep it a secret? Instead of...you know...telling him?"

"Because I was scared that he might run away from us," Lynn muttered.

"Well, technically, he already did. And he does hate the fact that you didn't tell him. Kind of a lame and redundant excuse to keep it a secret...eh, I don't buy it. There has to be another reason why you iced that event."

Lynn was stunned. To hear that load of bile coming from an extension of Lincoln's mind, it meant that he never stopped thinking about them. Even if it was in a bit of a negative light. Now, she had even more questions than she had the entire fall semester, "Wow...did he really-"

Just then, Strong Suit's wristbands started glowing bright, "Oh boy...Ace's in trouble," she said as she stretched her body and prepped herself for battle, "Yep, that's what happens when a level 15 goes up against a level 115...but, it's to save our little corner of the woods, so!" She hopped off the bed and triggered the emergency slide in Lincoln's room, "What else can you do?"

"Wait, you're not going out there, are you?!" Lynn stammered.

"I have to," Strong Suit climbed out of the window, "My peeps are in trouble. I'm not gonna sit here and let them take it. I'ma jump out!"

"Wait, but what about-" Lynn was too late to catch Strong Suit from sliding down, leaving her alone in the giant house once again. "Dangit! I'm tired of being left in the dark!" This time, she acted on instinct and tried to parkour her way downstairs. But when she landed on the first floor-

-THUD!-

"AAAAAAGH!"

Lynn's legs flared up. She didn't realize how much of her body was beyond repair, but she didn't care. The only thing on her mind was getting straight to the point, through Lincoln. She grabbed a bike outside and pedaled her way to Clyde's house. Once she arrived, she knocked on the door hard several times before Clyde's dads came out to answer.

"Whoever's knocking, please keep it down," Harold came out without noticing Lynn.

"Harold, relax," Howard walked outside, "It's only Lynn."

"Whaddaya...mean, "only"...?" Lynn panted, "Never mind...where's Clyde...?"

"He's sleeping in his room," Harold answered, "Why do you ask?"

"I...need..." Lynn mustered up the courage to make her request, knowing full well of what it will entail, "I need a favor..."

Meanwhile, the lookalike girl was having a time of her life. She spent the entire fight getting the Savvy Suite thrown, thrashed, and throttled across the Detroit cityscape, having to use up all its energy capsules just to keep it from losing its energy to Margo. Almost all of her attacks were outright blocked, and the ones that did hit did not faze Margo in the slightest. The latest exchange brought a laser into the inner city, totaling the Suite's shield, its mobility, and so much of the city streets.

"What do I do now?..." the girl pulled on her hair, "We're gonna die, they're gonna die, freedom's gonna die, EVERYTHING IS GONNA DAAAAHAHAHAHAIIIIIEEEEEEEE!" Just then, she saw Margo on top of her, picking up the Suite by its neck and lifting it higher and higher, "No no no no bad bad bad bad!" She started flailing, "Do something, robot me! Anything!" But the Suite wouldn't respond.

Margo looked down and smirked, "You know, I honestly thought you'd be a good fit for Phantom Task. But, I guess it's true. Once a coward, always a coward."

"The hell did that come fro..." the girl moved her POV to behind the Suite and realized what was below it, "Uhhhh..." and started flailing even more, "RESPOND, DAMN YOU! RESPOOOOOOOND!"

Margo was hovering over the Detroit River, and was preparing to drop the Suite, and a giant laser, into it. "You're too scared to question your sisters, so you'd rather do anything for them instead of risking a small scolding for your freedom. If you won't see the light, then you will die in the dark."

The girl was flailing even more, but the Suite still would not budge. That's when Lincoln started murmuring an incoherent mumble, his mind dipping between conscious and unconscious.

"No mercy for you, horse buck," Margo said, "Now, begone!" and let go.

The Suite was in freefall for only a second when Margo charged up for a huge laser blast. The Suite was starting to regain movement, but it wasn't enough to escape Margo's line of fire. Margo let the energy out. It was coming at the Suite at breakneck speed, and it would wipe it out if it hit. But just as it was about to the Suite, something swept it away from the blast.

Margo saw the Suite escape, "What the-" and instantly got knocked upside the head by a dumbbell, "AGH! Ugh, who would-"

It was Strong Suit, who managed to hit her target from the river bank, "Over here, assface! NEEEEYH-**HAWFAWFAWFAW!**" And infuriate her to no end.

"GASP-" Lincoln suddenly woke up, "Oh my god!...Where am I?..." he found himself on a pasture, with only a pile of bags, and the lookalike girl.

"Oh good, you're awake!" And she wasted no time relinquishing control to him, "Do something about this confused creature!" She tore off her VR gear.

"Do what about-hey!" And in an instant, Lincoln was back in the Suite, inside the arms of a giant metallic black samurai, a samurai that resembled the Brunhilde. "Whoa!" He came back to his senses, "What is happening?!"

"A lot," Clarissa's voice came through the giant's head, "but there's no time to explain."

"Clarissa?!" Lincoln yelped, "Is that you?! How are you in this thing?!"

"The Valkyrie Trace System has been repaired," Clarissa said, "We now stand on equal footing."

"VT?..." Lincoln panted, "Ok, am I missing anything?"

"Yes," Clarissa veered the giant back towards the Silverio Gospel, "That."

Lincoln saw Strong Suit struggle against Margo, swiping shot after shot of the wings, but never dealing any damage. He shrieked when he saw Margo land a punch on Strong Suit. "NOOO!" He broke out of the giant's grasp and flew towards Margo as fast as he could, but Margo simply threw Strong Suit aside and landed her hands on his neck.

"You don't know when to quit, do you?" Margo growled.

"Ggck...Ugh..." Lincoln choked in her hands, "...take your inner conflict elsewhere..."

At that point Margo sensed a free weight and a sword coming at her, and released Lincoln to fend off against both attacks. She knocked away the free weight with ease, but she felt the weight of the world come down on her shoulders from the sword, "Ugghhh...where do that come from..."

"It comes from a place you have yet to fully understand!" Clarissa said as her VT-enhanced IS doubled down on the sword strike.

Margo was able to escape Clarissa's attacks and fired off a max-power laser at Clarissa, who was able to shrug it off and return a sword slash that actually dealt some damage to Margo.

Strong Suit followed up with a fully loaded barbell to Margo's shoulder, "We gotta break its wings!"

Lincoln quickly jumped in and performed a chokehold on Margo, but it didn't last long as Margo broke free on pure strength alone. Margo launched another spread attack that left Lincoln and Strong Suit winded, but Clarissa took the brunt of the attack and engaged Margo in CQC.

Strong Suit knelt down beside Lincoln on the boardwalk, "Dude, what do we do? At this rate, we'll never ground her."

"I don't know..." was all Lincoln said.

"Whaddaya mean, ya don't know?!"

"I MEAN, I DON'T KNOW!"

They were then interrupted by several energy blasts, one of which hit the water tower behind them. The tower fell over and nearly collapsed them, but Lincoln was able to fly Strong Suit away from the impact.

"I coulda just jumped outta the way, ya know!" Strong Suit snapped.

"Get on my back!" Lincoln shouted while flying along the river, "I'm gonna get close enough for you to attack!"

Lincoln flew Strong Suit along the river to find Clarissa and Margo, and it didn't take long. Clarissa was struggling to keep the energy balls away from the drawbridge. Margo sensed Lincoln approaching from behind her and flew towards him. Clarissa capitalized on the distraction to ready her next strike. Margo and Lincoln were charging at each other, ripping the surface of the water in half. Margo was putting her concentration on one final laser blast. So much so, that she didn't see Strong Suit leap off Lincoln's back until it was too late to stop.

Margo panicked, then looked behind her and saw Clarissa coming from behind, and that split second made all the difference. She was decked in the head by Strong Suit's barbell thrust, which stunned her long enough to get hit by Clarissa's sword thrust. Clarissa and Strong Suit came back to Margo and rammed their weapons into the Gospel simultaneously.

Margo wilted. She clutched her stomach to keep herself from keeling over, "Ugh...dammit...what's with you people..."

"Margo, this has to stop!" Lincoln stopped a few feet in front of her, "We can't keep doing this any longer!"

"Shut up! What do you know?!" Margo screamed, "You're just a cushiony spoiled brat who couldn't really hurt even if a bug landed on your shoulder!"

"An extremely pale insult compared to the profanity-laced indignity you've handed out to southwest Michigan!" Clarissa shouted, "Look around you! This is very reason he would never harm a fly!"

"What are you..." Margo immediately reacted to Clarissa's words and looked around her. She stared at the cityscape that surrounded her...and the damaged she cause to it. So many roads and highways chipped into pieces, so many homes reduced to rubble, so many buildings smoking with holes. And she was the main cause of it.

"Yeah," Margo whispered, "I did all that. Wow."

"Listen to me!" Lincoln pleaded, "Phantom Task has turned you into something you're not supposed to be! You've been manipulated into becoming a monster, and they're just here to exploit you!"

"So?" Margo retorted, "What's your point? You have the same destructive power as I do!"

"I have this amazing power because I know how to control it!" Clarissa said, "You have just transformed the Silverio Gospel into an all-powerful killing machine! How is that supposed to put you on the same plane as the rest of us?!"

"I'd love to stay and chat about the power levels of the heart, but I still have some things to do," Margo took off to the sky and started to gather and immense energy surge within her body.

"Are you kidding me?!" Strong Suit screamed, "The Cross Thrust did jack squat!"

"Everyone behind me!" Clarissa prepared herself to take the full blast, "I'll focus the laser on me! When she fires, hit her from below!"

Lincoln and Strong Suit his behjnd Clarissa when Margo's laser reached maximum capacity. But just as Margo was about to fire, she sensed another object hurtling towards her backside; she turned the laser in that direction and fired there instead. The trio was stunned by that sudden maneuver until they saw what the laser was veering towards.

It was another IS. The laser was blasting towards that IS, but it was able to escape by kicking off an Ignition Boost. But the IS didn't stop its path towards Margo, and the laser didn't stop chasing the pilot. It wasn't until the pilot landed an uppercut on Margo's chin when the pilot was revealed.

The pilot was Lynn. She was the one who struck her best friend. She followed up with a kick to the gut, then finally finished by materializing a double-bladed staff and landing two slashes, breaking Margo's concentration and shutting off the laser.

Lincoln was flabbergasted. He didn't know what compelled Lynn to jump into an IS and come to his rescue, but he was even more flabbergasted by the fact that she hit her best friend.

Lynn was just as shocked that she was forced to intervene in the fight, if only to stop Margo from hurting herself. She didn't care about how Lincoln felt towards her anymore. All that mattered to her now was getting everything back to normal, including Margo.

"I didn't wanna believe it..." Lynn panted, "Margo...is it all true?...You really hated my guts..."

Margo took a minute to regain her balance, then eyed the woman floating in front of her, "Whoa...congrats, Lynn-sanity. You finally got the stones to throw down."

"Don't talk like that! Answer me, Margo! You weren't really my friend...were you?"

"No, she's not!" Clarissa commed to Lynn, "Your friend is long gone, Fräulein Lynn! She means to tear your family apart!"

"Well, good on you for figuring it out before Mister Dunder and Miss Mifflin," Margo interrupted, "Seriously, Lynn? You didn't once consider that your own friend would try a stunt like this behind your back? Given that friend's previous backstory?"

"Yeah, I heard from Nerdface and Jerkface already," Lynn said, "But what I don't know is, why didn't you tell anybody? Why'd you hide it from me?"

"Tell anybody? Wha-like you?! In the face of the toughest girl in school?!" Margo laughed in disbelief, "Hahahahhahahahaaaaa, ohohooooo that is rich! As if my social standing couldn't get any worse than rock bottom!"

"Ok, I get it. But...just answer me one thing," Lynn said, "Is it your brother, or is it your passion for sports?"

Margo regained her composure upon hearing that question, "Wow. That's the first thoughtful line I've ever heard from you."

Lynn gripped her staff and braced herself for an impending attack. Clarissa moved away from Lincoln to give herself room to take off and remove Lynn from any possible danger, while Lincoln and Strong Suit prepped for a long pursuit.

But Margo...she no longer cared. She thought she was already so deep in the rabbit hole that she might as well dig deeper and try to create a sinkhole, "Both. I hated you for stealing my chance to escape being harassed, and I hate your sisters for manipulating and framing my brother."

"Huh?" Lynn heard how the person she thought to be the school bully of her initial sixth grade days was actually Margo's brother, but she was never told about anything else that could've tricked him into fighting her, "Where'd you hear th-UGH!" But she didn't have time to process it, as she was just socked in the face.

Clarissa moved in while Lincoln and Strong Suit flung cards and dumbbells at Margo, who effortlessly countered them all. Margo saw Clarissa approaching and tried to sway her away with a spray attack, but Lynn insisted on a CQC trade off. Margo blocked Lynn's strikes and pushed her back with a wing slam, far enough for Lynn to be caught in Clarissa's giant arms. Margo blasted them away with a volley of energy, but Lincoln got close enough for him and Strong Suit to pummel Margo and bring her to ground level.

Lynn just stared at the suddenly ferocious attacks that two people very close to each other were trading. "Whoa..." she gasped, "Is that really Lincoln?..."

"Listen," Clarissa tried to console her, "I am aware you just recently became a pilot, but get used to the Heavy Battler quickly. She will not wait for you to do so."

Lynn just watched Margo takedown Lincoln and Strong Suit without using a single bit of energy, "Yeah, you're right. We need to beat some sense into her." She flew off and interrupted Margo's winged slashes before it could finish Strong Suit off.

"Whoa..." Strong Suit marveled before jumping back into action, swinging around Lynn's shoulders to strike at Margo, only to be shunted into the water, "PLABLT-" SPLASH! "-CLARISSA!"

Clarissa performed a Full Force strike to force Margo away from her, when Lincoln and Strong Suit were able to get in a few ranged attacks. Clarissa was able to engage Margo in CQC until her sword was swatted away, opening her to a laser blast. But when the blast subsided, Lynn and Strong Suit were there to thrust Margo into an empty warehouse. Margo skid back to the middle of the warehouse, while Lynn and Strong Suit blocked the way out.

"Tch..." Margo spat, then taunted Lynn, "Feel good now that your precious little scapegoat's here to take the fall for you?"

"It ain't gonna end like back then," Lynn grunted underneath the intense pain the battle was causing her arms and legs, "This time, me and Lincoln are gonna walk outta this alive."

Strong Suit switched out her barbell with a pair of ping pong paddles, "Believe me, this'll hurt us more than it'll hurt you."

Margo looked ahead of her, at the two Lynns blocking the exit. Then, she looked behind her, at Lincoln and Clarissa surrounding her by entering through the truck loading area. She turned back to the twin Lynn and hissed, "On that, we agree."


	36. Battle of the Great Lakes

While Lincoln and his team were fending off a huge problem in his hometown, there was an even bigger problem going on in Great Lakes City. Both the Louds and the Casagrandes have been subdued and taken hostage inside their own apartment by two pairs of siblings with unknown intentions. Both families were moved to the grandparents' living room and laid side by side, bound and gagged, with nothing but the moonlight to illuminate the bleak moment.

And standing at the center of the scene were Hank, Hawk, Janice, and Juniper.

Hawk nudged Juniper, "Wake her up."

Juniper nodded and then splashed a cup of cold water on Luna's head.

"BLAGHPHOUGH-*COUGH*COUGH*COUGH*" and that was enough to wake Luna up, "Ugh! Who would...Huh?" Enough to shock her into looking around her and seeing her family unconscious on the floor, "GUYS?! GUYS, WAKE UP! COME ON!"

"That ain't gonna do you any good," Janice knelt down beside her, "You're ours now."

"What did you do to them?!" Luna squirmed, "I swear, if you don't get me outta her right now-OOGH?!" She was suddenly kicked in the gut by Juniper.

"Know your place, bitch!" Juniper shouted.

"Hey, hey, easy, easy," Hawk shiver Juniper aside, "We don't damage merchandise...yet."

"Urgh...yet?..." Luna winded, "Whaddaya mean...yet?..."

"Listen," Hawk knelt down in front of her face, "I don't wanna be the bearer of bad news but...we've seen what you can do with those IS things and, quite frankly, we need you all to die."

"Die?" Luna raised and eyebrow, "You cannot be serious-Uh?!" Until she felt a knife gently prick the skin under her chin.

"Dead serious," Hawk glared into her eyes, "You little girls have been a thorn in our backsides for too long. All we wanted was to assert our dominance over Royal Woods, but you asses had to get in our way every single time we meet. And only now do we find out that every single one of you's a goddamn pilot?" He ran his knife across her neck without cutting her skin, "No way. You all have to go."

"Oh my god... you're seriously serious..." Luna quivered, seeing exactly how angry Hawk was.

"It's bad," Hank stepped out from behind, "and to make matters worse..." he then opened a pantry door, and out popped three roughed up bodies slamming to the floor: Kim, Akane, and Tomoya, "...these bimbos have the nerve to get in our way and try to stop us."

"OOF!" The bodies grunted.

"Kim?" Luna recognized one of those voices.

"Haagh?!" Kim gasped, "Wha...Luna! These guys-"

"Shut up!" Janice stomped on Kim's head, causing Kim to lose consciousness, and causing Lori, Luan, Leni, and Rita to regain theirs.

"Ugh...what..." Rita was the first to shake her head, "What's going on?..."

"These guys..." Akane panted, They took pictures of squirrel Lincoln and spread them out..."

"Under Margo's orders..." Tomoya groaned, "That's what's going on-AAAAAAAGH!" Before getting pepper sprayed in the eyes.

"Nah, that ain't gonna cut it no more," Hawk shook her head, "We gotta kill them now."

"Hold on, they got bosses for bosses," Hank said, "We need them to coerce those other people to back off."

"You won't get away with this..." Lori grunted, "Someone's gonna come for us..."

"Don't bet on it," Janice put her knee on Lori's neck, "There's people taking care of them right now."

"Why are you doing this?..." Leni asked, "Why do you have to do this to us?..."

"Really? You're asking us why?" Juniper walked over to Leni and cut off some of her hair, "Do you wanna be the first to die?!"

Leni was terrified into absolute silence.

"Do you think you're gonna pull out of this unscathed?..." Akane grumbled.

"Has your conscience fallen so far that you'd kidnap us for this?..." Lori said.

"And you're gonna leave us napping by the fishes?" Luan said.

"That's all up to her," Hawk pointed to Luna, who boy her lip in fear of what would happen to her family if she rejected Hawk's proposal, and what could happen to the world if she accepted.

And Chandler heard all of it under the plant.

"Hahhhhh, boy," he shook his head, "My job just got a lot more painful."

Suddenly, Clyde came barging through the doors, "Hey! I'm here!"

"Where were you, four-eyes?!" Chandler snapped.

"I had to help Lynn get on the IS thing!" Clyde responded.

"So, nothing you said to her made a difference?"

"She was gonna German suplex me! What was I supposed to do?!"

"Dangit," Chandler gave up and dragged Clyde into the facility, "Whatever, follow me."

Meanwhile, Akina was having the time of her life in another city, wreaking havoc by merely fighting across the neighborhoods and busy streets with the spider-like IS. It went on until she found herself splashing down in the lake of a park.

"Ugh! Ow..." Akina grunted, "How on earth are there no people on earth..." Just then, she saw her target attempt a ground pound. She countered by firing her rockets at the pilot to veer her off course, then ramming her combat knife into the IS's abdomen.

The instant the knife hit, the pilot revealed a hidden cannon and shot Akina, forcing the two away from each other. But the pilot instantly leapt at Akina, who recovered just in time to be met with four bladed legs trying to slice her shield energy away. She blocked nearly every single attack, and the ones she couldn't block slowly started to wear on her, until finally the pilot was able to pull out a machine gun and relentlessly pelt Akina with bullets. Akina stayed in the line of fire and was forced backwards, until she got enough room to hit the pilot with a couple surprise rifle and rocket combos, disorienting the pilot. Akina fled into the inner city, withdrawing her IS when she was within a crowd of people.

"Whew... I didn't think my first field mission would be this terrible..." Akina muttered, then tried to connect a channel with the rest of her teammates, "Kim? Lincoln? Do you copy?" Five seconds, no answer, "Ha-jin? Loud? Respond back?" Fifteen seconds, nothing. She started to rack her mind for any possible backup plans, "Ok...I need to stop her from hurting anyone else...but how..."

Then suddenly, a young man's voice came through to her channel, "How about going down to her level?"

"Uaaa!" Akina yelped, "Who the-"

"Relax, it's me, Clyde. One of Lincoln's friends."

"Clyde?...Oh, right, you're Lincoln's bestie!"

"Don't use that word-" SMACK! "-OW!"

Another young man's voice came through, "Dude, focus!"

"What was that?" Akina questioned everything she just heard.

"Nothing! Now, listen," Clyde said, "You wanna take down Autumn, but you can't do it alone."

"What do you mean-no..." Akina clicked his words to her current situation. She couldn't reach out to her team, so she would have to reach out to the general public, "No...no, I already did that once tonight and almost got someone killed!"

"Don't worry," Clyde reassured her, "She apparently loves to be in the chaos, and you have to support of the police. Just lure her into the city and I'll take over from there."

"Um...ok, I guess," Akina wandered out past the city limits and found that same woman in the spider IS waiting under a giant billboard, "Um...you said Autumn. Who exactly is she?"

"Oh, unhinged. Looney. Obsessed about bugs and stuff," Clyde casually responded.

"Oh, ok," Akina nodded, "'Cause I think I'm looking right at her." She then pulled out her rifle and fired a warning shot at her.

"You think correctly," the pilot swatted away the shot and let out several sticky balls at Akina.

"Uh-huh! Confirmed visual! Engaging Autumn!" Akina screamed while trying to counter those spider balls.

"And I'll get the police involved," Clyde said as he traced Akina's location to any police stations near the area.

Akina suffered another machine gun blast, but she persevered through the bullets and managed to crack open Autumn's helmet, which got her very very angry.

"AGH!" Autumn staggered backward and shook her head.

"Oh, that's not a good..." Akina looked behind her at the city she had just left, "That is not a good..."

"How...how dare you..." Autumn slowly became more infuriated by the second, "You...you little brat..." and then, she lost it, "...YOU'LL PAY FOR THIIIIIIIIIIS!" and charged towards Akina.

"Very very very not a good!" Akina fled into the city with Autumn chasing her and blasting her from behind, "Should I really be getting everyone else's attention?!"

Clyde suddenly commed to Akina, "Just go!"

"Huh?!"

"Don't attack! Just go! I'll lead you to the police!"

"Uh, ok?!" Akina didn't bother thinking about that and led Autumn into the sprawling lights and busy crosswalks where- "WHOA-AAA!"

"Hey, watch it!" An angry pedestrian nearly got plowed by her.

Akina tried to apologize, "Sorry, I just-OOF!" But Autumn plowed into her, thrusting her against the side of a mall, right before getting blown through the wall by a car.

"Oh my god..." Akina groaned, "Nobody said being a hero was easy..." CRASH! "-GASP?!" She just saw Autumn crash through the wall and aim the machine gun at some shoppers. Luckily, Akina was able to shield them from the gunfire. "OR THIS PAINFUL!" she screamed as a sharp pain began crawling up her buttocks.

Meanwhile, back in Great Lakes City, Luna was contemplating her next move and the consequences that were sure to ensue. Hawk was standing over her with a knife ready to gut her bound family members if she didn't give him the answer he wanted, while Janice and Juniper had their weapons aimed at the Casagrandes, who were still out cold.

"Well, Miss Queefo?" Janice taunted, "Time's ticking? You gonna be our slaves, or our food?"

Right when Ronnie Anne was waking up, "Uh, my eyes...Whoa. Janice?"

"Yeah, that's right," Janice walked over to Ronnie, "What you got, ¿puta?"

"Nothing much..."

Janice put her heel on Ronnie'a belly, "Really? Nothing?"

"Nah..." Ronnie Anne grunted, "Just the fact that you were the one that couldn't handle your own homeland."

"SHUT UP!" Janice stomped on Ronnie's gut, causing her to wheeze in pain, "Don't act tough just because you got your passport earlier!" She prepared to knife Ronnie's throat...

...but she was stopped by Frida's sudden shrieking, "NO! DON'T YOU DARE TOUCH MY BABY!"

Janice was a little freaked out, but Juniper quickly got in Frida's face, "What? You wanna take her place?"

"Wha..." Frida panicked, "Wha... I just-"

"Nuh-uh," Juniper slapped Frida, "You don't 'just'. Someone has to go."

Luna looked at her with deadly eyes that quickly turned sorrowful once she saw it where that knife was pointed. She wanted to say so many words to them, but couldn't. For one reason only:

Hawk, "Alright, that's long enough. Time to die, Loudes." On command, Janice grabbed the knife and prepared to take Lily's life, causing the elder Loud sisters to scream.

Which caused Luna to bellow "NO! STOP! I'LL DO IT!"

Hawk, Janice, and Juniper stopped what they were doing and turned to Luna. The sisters stopped freaking out and worried for the worst.

"I'll do it, ok?!" Luna said, "I'll do it!"

Hawk ran his hand up Luna's chin, "You'll do...what?"

Luna gritted her teeth, and seethed through her anger over herself for not being able to break free of the rope, "I'll...I'll be your bitch..."

"Not just you," Hawk taunted, "Your entire family. They're all the pilot-ass nobodies that wanna piece of me. You're gonna bring them under my control, you hear? I have no use for people who don't obey me."

Suddenly, a familiar male voice boomed, "So, nobody?"

"Huh?" Hawk looked up to see who said that- FLASH! "AAAAGH! DAMMIT!" Only to get blinded by a flashbang grenade.

"Yo!" Luan screamed, "What's happening?!"

"I don't know!" Luna said.

The commotion was loud enough to wake up Ronnie Anne and Bobby, who were both unbounded by Hank of all people.

"Huh? What's going on?" Bobby asked half-dazed.

"A miracle is what's going on," Ronnie Anne said, "What's this about, Hank?"

"No time to explain," Hank shook it off, then unbound the rest of the Casagrandes, "Cops and gangsters will be here any minute."

"Gangwhats?!" Frida exclaimed after her ropes were undone, "What exactly is happening?!" Before getting shanked by Juniper, "OOOOWW!"

"Mama?!" Bobby rushed to Frida's side, nearly coming into contact with Juniper's knife.

"No, really," Janice confronted them, "What is this all about?" She turned to Hank, "What the hell are you doing, bro?"

"Saving your puny ass from jail," Hank said as he hurled Ronnie Anne at Hawk.

"Ugh...dammit..." Hawk was winded, "What happened-OOF!" He was hit with Ronnie Anne's flying headbutt, but he quickly recovered and caught her reeling from the attack, "Oh, if that's the saddest sight I'd ever seen," he said as he picked her up and prepared to kill her, but he was quickly subdued by Akane, "AGH! LET GO-URGH!"

"You're done here, meat head," Akane grunted as she put a chokehold on Hawk.

Tomoya quickly freed the rest of the hostages while subduing Juniper, "Go! Get them outta here!"

"Gotcha," Hank nodded, then turned to grab Luna and Ronnie Anne's hands, "Come on, let's move."

"Wha..." Luna was shaken by what had just happened this past night, "I don't know...I just-"

"Get up, dude!" Ronnie Anne pushed, "We got other places to be!"

"No, you don't," Janice snuck behind Ronnie and wrestled her to the ground, "You're gonna spend some time right here!" She was about to choke Ronnie when she was suddenly grabbed by Frida, Carlos, and Carlota, "Ack! What the... heck?!..."

"Oh my..." Rita was helped up by Lori, "Do you know what's happening here?..."

"There's no time," Lori said while helping her dad up, "Get the keys and go! We need to leave now!"

"Not yet," Hank said to them, "There's a huge gang waiting for us outside. We have to use the emergency exit."

"What?!" Lori snapped at him, "How would you know that? Aren't you in on this whole scheme?"

"I was," Hank said, "but I backed out early on." Then, he recounted how he was able to look up the Casagrandes' apartment block and their neighbors' phone numbers, and land the right person out of sheer luck...

_("Hey. You're Ronnie Anne's friend, right?")_

_("Yeah?...Why do you ask?...")_

_("Because in just a few days, some real nasty stuff's about to go down.")_

_("Really? Is it gonna be like a beat down, like a pile-on of bad people?")_

_("Worse. Now, listen. I need you to time your call to the police, with whatever shouting or thudding you hear in the apartment next to you. Make up whatever story you need to; just get as many cops here ASAP. Got it?")_

"I literally do not believe a single word of that hoopla," Lori shook her head before being shoved out the window by Hank.

"You don't have to believe it!" Hank snapped, "Just get your ass outta here and run!"

"Ok! Ok!" Lori screamed as she eased her way to the emergency ladder. She was able to get a solid hold on the ladder until she looked down and saw a hoard of grown men with bats and knives, "Um...guys?! There's a vicious gang below me! And it's not cats!"

Suddenly, Kim jumped out of the window, "Allow me!" and unveiled her new IS's pole arm. She then threw it at the gang mob below, and it exploded upon impact, injuring nearly every gang member in range. The pole arm came back to her, "That's not all of them. You need to climb down there now."

"But what about the police?" Lori asked, right before the sound of sirens and the flashing police lights started to permeate the atmosphere, "Oh...ok! I'm going down!" She started her long climb down, then Luan and Leni followed closely behind. They momentarily stopped when they heard loud banging on the entry door.

"Shoot, we're not fast enough," Tomoya hissed.

"Mr. and Mrs. Loud," Kim floated inside, "You have to let me carry Lily down."

"What?!" Lynn Sr exclaimed, "Why?! We don't even know what is happening-" BAM! "-UH!" The door came down.

"Dangit," Akane said, "How are the others?"

"They're out cold," Tomoya pointed to an unconscious Hawk, Janice, and Juniper, "Hank, you ready?"

"As ready as I'll ever be," Hank shook his head as he walked towards the door and addressed the incoming gang members, "Sup, gringos?"

"Don't 'sup' me, dude," one of the thugs shoved him back inside and walked towards him waving his bat, "You have any idea what's gonna happen to you?" He didn't get the chance to finish, as Akane swiped the bat from him and conked him out. Then, Tomoya dragged another man inside and pushed his head into a countertop. That prompted the rest of the gang to storm inside and try to overpower them.

"Lynn, we don't have time!" Rita urged, "Please. We have to trust her."

Lynn Sr took one look at the still sleeping Lily, then at the scene behind him, "Ok, but...what about the others? They're still out cold."

"We can take care of them!" Tomoya shouted as she effortlessly fended off the horde of gangsters.

"Police'll be here soon!" Akane said, "You just go!"

One of the gangsters broke through and lunged at Lynn Sr, only to be stomped by Hank, "AGH! What the hell, man?! I thought you were with the program!"

"Program's been corrupted," Hank cracked his knuckles, "and I ain't gonna be a part of it," and thrashed the poor soul.

Lynn Sr was compelled to surrender Lily to Kim, "Ok, fine! Just get her somewhere safe!"

"Thank you," Kim withdrew her IS's arms and gently cradled Lily within her chest. Lily nuzzled Kim's bow tie and made a soft sniffle. "Shhh, it's ok," Kim cooed, "Auntie Kimmie's gonna bring you a nice warm bed soon-"

"OOUGH?!" Hank's sudden painful groan interrupted Kim's train of thought.

"Tomoya!" Akane shouted. Tomoya threw up another flash bang grenade. This time, it stunned everyone who was fighting in the apartment and woke up those who were still out cold.

"Yo-wha-Huh?!" Lana was the first up, and she immediately jumped her sisters into action, "Lola! Lucy! Up and at 'em!"

Lola was slow to wake up, "Ughhhhj...don't interrupt my...WHAT TH-" She only needed a second's glance at two older women being pinned down to realize what was happening, "I don't realize what's happening, but I am craving some MAN-MEAT RIGHT NOW!"

"Same here, Lols," Lana growled as she donned a pair of brass knuckles and tossed Lola a bat. And together, the twins wrought absolute havoc upon the gangsters, only to be pushed back midway through their wrath, "AGH! Why you-BPHMHMM?!"

Hawk suddenly woke up and put the twins in a choke hold, "I got something special for you-" SMACK! "-Ugh!" He was knocked upside the head, releasing the twins from his grasp. "Ow, who the..." He spun around and saw who hit him, "Bro...you?"

"Yeah...me," Hank cracked his knuckles, "and I'll do it again if I need to."

Hawk surveyed the scenery around him. He saw Ronnie Anne and Luna tend to a dazed Janice and Juniper. He saw two women managing to hold their own against a gang. He saw an IS pilot effortlessly switch back and forth between helping the families evacuate and whittling the gang's morale. But most of all, he saw Hank standing before him in utter defiance of everything he had planned. Hank, who had been with him every step of the way, through thick and thin...now no more than a random gringo who had just looked at him the wrong way.

"Aight..." Hawk nodded, "Aight..." then, he pumped his arms, "You're done."

Hank rushed towards Hawk with a left hook, but he was countered with an elbow block plus backfist. Hank tried again to lunge at Hawk, but he was swatted away. Hawk then landed a gut punch and knee before throwing Hank out the window and into the emergency balcony.

"Oh my god..." Hank groaned, "What did they do to you..."

Hawk suddenly jumped through the window and stomped on Hank. "Nothing you wouldn't see," he said as he started choking Hank.

Hank struggled to get his neck freed. The burly arms that chained him were far too big for him to grapple. He could only watch in horror as his former best friend turned deadly, actually chuckling as the life was slowly strangled out of him. But just when he was about to lose consciousness-

**_-THWACK!-_**

Carlota suddenly kicked Hawk over the rail, knocking him out and sending him plummeting towards the ground. She left Hank outside wheezing for breath and went back inside to finish off the home invaders.

Meanwhile, Kim had made it to ground level, but there were still gangsters to contend with, and some of them had guns firing nonstop. She was stuck in the middle of the road, hunched over to protect Lily. "Dammit!" She screamed, "Is there anything we can do?!" Just then, she saw Hawk free falling to the ground, "Wait...that's it!" She flew up, quickly deployed her left arm, and caught Hawk, unconsciously triggering her wing units for the first time. Her wings released a powerful light that blinded the remaining gangsters, allowing her to rush in and tackle them all down.

"Whew..." Kim panted, "Done..." she started at her hands, one with Hawk slowly coming to, and the other with Lily still cuddled in her chest, "Well...I think it's time you both got some proper rest..." And just in time to, because the police arrived at the scene in droves. Their loud sirens and flashing lights woke Lily from her slumber, and the young baby was crying as a result of the interruption. "Aw, no no no no," Kim retracted her arms and tried to cuddle Lily to sleep, "It's ok. No one will hurt you anymore. You can go back to sleep-"

"It's ok, Kimmie," Luan tapped Kim's hips, "We can take it from here."

"Um...ok," Kim handed Lily to Luan, who wasted no time in lulling Lily to sleep.

One of the policemen drove near Kim, "Excuse me, ma'am. We'd like to have a word with you."

Kim stammered, "Oh, that's not necessary. The Loud and Casagrande families-"

"Ma'am, this is not up for debate," a police officer said, "We need you to-"

Just then, two communication channels opened simultaneously,

One on the police channel, "All available units respond! Situation in Cleveland area! An IS is going berserk! We need all available units to assist in evacuation and containment!"

And on on Kim's channel, "Kim?! I need help! It's Autumn! She's throwing me like a rag doll! The police are here, but they're powerless against this spider thing! You need to come over here and help me get Autumn under control!"

"I'm on my way!" Kim immediately flew off into the night sky, out of the police's grasp.

Carlota saw Kim blast off from the apartment window after hearing the police enter the bodega. She then turned around and took a few moments to take it all in, "Hahhhh...hahhhhhh...hahhhhh...what...the hell...just happened..." She saw the limp bodies of the mob that tried to ambush them. She also saw Ronnie Anne tending to Hank, while Juniper was slowly coming to her senses. "Oh, this little prick..." Luna groaned as she approached the young woman.

"Ohhhhh..." Juniper slowly woke up, "My head...what happened..." she showed very little reaction to Luna grabbing her collar and bringing her to her eyes.

"You got five seconds to give me a reason to not turn you into a human quesadilla," Carlota growled.

"Ugh... what...what does it matter to you?" Juniper chuckled, "It's already too late..."

"What?!" Carlota shouted, "Tell me what you did!"

Juniper spat in Carlota's face and received a powerful gut punch. She was dropped to the floor, writhing in pain, but still maintaining her smirk, "UGH...HHH...hahhh...it's too late...Margo's already done him in..."

"Margo?!" Carlota shouted, "What did you do to her?!"

"Heheh..." Juniper chuckled, "Wouldn't you like to-" until Tomoya's radio blared out a distress call:

["Come in, Homesewer! This is Lincoln Loud! Margo's out of control! The Silverio Gospel is too powerful! Clarissa, Lynn, and Strong Suit are working with me to prevent the spread of the fight, but it's not enough! We need to notify the police and get started on an evacuation order now! I don't know how long we can hold her off!"]

"Lincoln?" Carlota reacted.

"Lincoln?..." Ronnie Anne gasped, "He's back?..."

"Big bro?!" Lola and Lana exclaimed.

Juniper had the opposite reaction, "No...no!...HOW IS HE NOT DEAD YET?!"

That shout attracted Tomoya, Akane, Lola, and Lana to hear the rest of the story.

"Who's not dead yet?!" Lola demanded.

"Care to explain the entire thing to us?" Akane said while holding up a voice recorder.

Carlota sighed and went over to Hank, who was still on the balcony taking in several gulps of breath. She stepped out in the open air and leaned against the brick wall, not knowing what to say to the man who's pulled several betrayals before.

But Hank knew what to say, "Yeah, take it all in...Pretty soon, my entire family'll be back in Mexico..."

"Huh?!" Carlota raised her eyebrows, "You'll what?!"

"Well, heheh, not exactly...I'll be stuck in jail...everyone else's ass is going back..."

"Wait, Wait Wait Wait Wait...you're not...not a...a citizen?..."

"Depends on how you see it...Autumn...she promised a spot on her team for Margo...a huge city for Hawk...and a green card for my mom and Janice..."

"What? I thought they'd have gotten it already..."

"Supposed to, two years ago...they've been here for five years, but...stuff happens..."

Carlota was in shock. Everything that happened to her and her family was just so Hank could have a chance to stay with his family, "I don't...I...why didn't..."

"Not that it matters anymore..." Hank groaned, "Pretty soon, I'll be gone...and ain't no miracle gonna rain down on me this time..."

Carlota started to speak, "With this, I wanna know that-"

-BAM!-

"POLICE! NOBODY MOVE!" The police have made it to the apartment. Once the ER team arrived, they started to make their rounds, tending to the wounded and handcuffing anyone that tried to resist.

Juniper tried to fight her way out, but Lola and Lana easily subdued her, causing the three of them to be arrested. Tomoya and Akane explained the entire situation with a detective and two officers. Janice was put onto a stretcher and led away. Any Loud and Casagrande left was escorted outside for questioning. Three policemen saw Carlota and went to the balcony.

"Excuse me, Miss," one of the policemen said, "Could you come inside? We need to have a word with you."

"Uh...me?" Carlota stammered, "Maybe...I don't-"

"No," Hank interrupted, "It's me you want...I saw the whole thing... I participated in it..."

"Son? Are you sure?" A policeman asked, "If you did participate in the assault, then-"

"I know what it means..." Hank panted, "I just...I just need to tell someone..."

The policemen looked at each other, then have Hank a solemn nod. One officer handcuffed Hank's hands together and put him on a stretcher, "Alright, son...you're under arrest for home invasion, aggravated assault, and attempted murder."

"And Hawk?" Hank asked, "What about him?"

"He's been arrested as well."

"Good..." Hank sighed in relief and allowed the policemen to take him away. He briefly crossed Sid's line of sight, which caused her to panic and run after him.

"Hey! Hey! Hank!" Sid shouted, "I didn't know they'd have gotten you too! I just told them that there was gonna be a massive brawl!"

"It's ok..." Hank weakly held up a thumb's up, "You did good..."

"Yeah, but Janice! Your mom! Your fu..." Sid halted once Hank got into the elevator. She realized that it was pointless trying to stop him and just watched as the doors closed on him, "... but... I was ...aw, Dangit!"

Ronnie Anne walked towards the elevator, "Sid? Did he really..."

"Yeah! He told me to call the police! I didn't know that _this_ is what he meant!"

Ronnie Anne gasped, "Wha...but that's the thug who-"

"I know! What happened?! Who exposed his Antarctic heart to the searing, heart-rending lava?!"

Ronnie Anne kept swerving her gaze between the elevator and her apartment. She didn't know how to react to any of this. All she knew was that this Thanksgiving would go down in her diary as the worst thing that has ever happened to her. Her family was just attacked. She was needlessly thrust into a world of mechanized intrigue. And to top it off, Lincoln has returned, after weeks of cutting off all communication with her.

"Sid..." Ronnie Anne groaned, "I don't feel so good..."

"Let's get you some water and a bath," Sid walked Ronnie Anne to Tomoya and Akane's apartment, "I will not have you pull a dusty one on me."

Meanwhile, Akina was pulling multiple fast ones on Autumn, luring her to multiple dead ends for some fast hits, but ultimately unable to gain any advantage over the ground-based IS. She fought her all across the city, gaining plenty of publicity, and a bit of help from the police. But nothing changed the course of the battle. She managed to take the fight all the way to the harbor, where she was able to hide underwater long enough to land a surprise attack and blast a rocket to Autumn's face. But Autumn hid inside a gigantic apartment complex. Akina followed her inside and stopped in the lobby, where the residents no doubt tried to flee the scene.

"Nut bunnies!" Akina grunted, "I can't pin her down-WU-HEY!" She was suddenly caught up in a spider web.

Autumn crashed through the entrance and rammed her bladed legs into Akina. She gave Akina eight slashes before breaking her out of the web with her machine gun, knocking her back outside. She launched a rocket and Akina, sending her plummeting into the river.

"Ahahahahahahahahaaaa!" Autumn cackled, "I finally caught you!" She jumped out of the complex and into the river, spraying another spider web where she thought Akina would emerge, "The look on your face when I hit you is priceless! I wonder what ghastly expression I'll elicit from you this time!"

"Oh, shut up!" Akina emerged from one of the ports and fired a grenade at Autumn, which was easily dodged. Akina rushed closer, continuously blasting her rifle until she got up to Autumn's face, then pulled out her knife and tried to cut off the bladed legs. But she was caught up in another web, "GACK?! Ugh...gimme a-"

"Not bad," Autumn muttered, "but not good enough." She had all four legs centered on Akina's limbs, ready to chop away what little shield energy she had left. But just as she was about to finish the job-

-THOOM-

"OOGH?! RRRAAAAA-"

-BLAM!-

Autumn was struck dragged into the harbor by a pole. Then, the pole arm exploded, causing a massive amount of damage to Autumn's shielding.

"Whoa..." Akina muttered. She saw the pole arm fly right at her and winced as it missed her, instead breaking the web and freeing her, "Aah! Uh! Who the-" She saw the pole arm fly right into Kim's hands, "Kim! He-hey!"

"Glad I made it in time," Kim flew to Akina's side, "How's the IS holding up?"

"Oh, it's seen better pilots," Akina joked, but the stared into the harbor, at the spot where Autumn splashed in, "but I made sure everyone knew what was going down." She looked behind her as multiple police cars drove into the area and surrounded the splash zone.

And not a moment too soon, because-

-SPLASH!-

"RRAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAGH!" Autumn resurfaced in utter rage, for everyone to see, "I WILL KILL YOU! ALL OF YOU! YOU ARE ALL DEAD!" She recklessly sprayed her machine gun all over the dock.

"Hit the deck!" Kim and Akina both shielded the police with their shields and energy fields.

"Do we have visual on the rouge IS pilot?!" An officer screamed into his communicator.

"No visual confirmation!" Someone yelled back, "The water is obstructing our view of the pilot, but the IS appears to be the stolen Arachne Gen2 model!"

"What do we do, Kim?!" Akina shouted.

"We can't let these people die!" Kim stammered, then looked up and saw Autumn shoot out a bullet to a nearby gas tank, causing a massive chain explosion.

Suddenly, a female voice from above them bellowed, "EVERYONE GET BACK!"

Kim and Akina peered over their weapons to find a water wall erected between them and the explosions. Standing in front was another IS, another pilot, with blue hair, channeling the water with just her staff. They were awestruck; they weren't aware of any IS that could manipulate physical matter to an insane degree that this woman did.

The pilot held up the water wall for a full minute, then released it, resetting the river to its former stillness. She then turned around and glanced her piercing red eyes at Kim and Akina, "Are you two ok?"

"Yeah..." Akina said, "I think so...thanks for that..."

"Don't thank me yet," the pilot turned back around and scanned the harbor, "We still have to find that little water spider."

Kim approached the pilot, "I'll send out a beacon for that IS signature."

"I wouldn't," the pilot shook her head, "She's international. By the time I put down the waterworks, she's slipped outta the country. She's probably halfway to Toronto by now."

"Well, what can we do?" One of the police officers asked, "We got an international terrorist on the loose, and millions of dollars in property damage to answer for!"

"I'm sure you'll figure it out," the pilot winked, then summoned a massive tidal wave to sweep the police backward.

Kim and Akina jumped over and fired on the mysterious lady, but she was already gone.

"Huh?" Kim said, "How did she..."

"I don't know, and I don't wanna know," Akina muttered, "All that matters is finding a way to fix the mess that spider lady caused."

"Leave that to us," the captain approached the pair, "You did an admirable job protecting the citizens from that pilot's attacks."

"Aw, shucks," Akina blushed, "You know I couldn't have done that without your help."

"Sir?" An officer called over, "We got a call for an emergency team to come to the plaza mall."

"What?" The captain seemed puzzled, "We don't have a plaza mall...Who sent the signal?"

The officer checked his radio and listened intently to the message, "Let me see...the caller identified herself as...Clarissa...Clarissa Harfouch."

Kim and Akina gasped, "LINCOLN!"


	37. Battle of Detroit (Part 2)

Lincoln's team was having a miserable time with Margo. Apart from the certainty of his recent distress call somehow reaching to Great Lakes City, the Silverio Gospel was just too powerful. All throughout the night, Margo led them on a wild goose chase before coming to the parking lot of the Royal Woods mall, and somehow managed to remain stationary for five whole minutes without taking substantial damage. Every single attack thrown her way was either blocked or countered. When she did react, it was at the last minute, when Lincoln's fists, Lynn's staff, Clarissa's sword, and Strong Suit's paddles simultaneously hammered onto Margo, when she blocked them all with her arms and wings.

"Arrgh!..." Clarissa grunted as her sword caught onto the Gospel's wing joint, "I have herrrr!..."

"Alright, that's enough!" Margo shouted and released a visible energy aura that literally blew everyone away.

Except for Clarissa. She was able to shrug off the energy aura and ram her sword into Margo's side. Margo quickly grabbed onto the blade and used her wings to pressure Clarissa into letting go. Clarissa maintained her grip and tried to swat Margo away, but there came a point where she had to let go and reach for Margo. And that's when Margo was able to take control of the VT sword.

"Hey, Chi-goo-yu!" Strong Suit jumped back in to lend Clarissa some assistance, sneaking in several hits while Clarissa was tanking against Margo's fury.

Lynn and Lincoln broke through the glass windows and hit the inside hard. Lincoln was knocked out.

But Lynn skidded across the floor and plowed through several stands until she crashed into a giant steel column, "AAAAAGH...ugh...my arms...I can't even..." She saw Strong Suit land several hard smacks on Margo before being swatted away, just in time to see Clarissa reclaiming the sword and slash Margo once again. "No...no!...We have to stop-ow! Agh..." She tried to get back up, but every single movement she made felt like a needle ripped through her muscles, "Dangit...can't I do anything?!..."

Just then, the glass ceiling above her collapsed. Steel bars and glass shards were plummeting towards her and anyone near her. She tried to move, but the pain paralyzed her. Luckily, Lincoln swooped in with a giant circular metal plate and blocked all the glass from hurting anyone.

"Whoa! Lincoln?!" Lynn winced, "Is that really you?!"

No, it wasn't. The lookalike girl had once again hijacked the Savvy Suite the instant Lincoln hit the ground.

"Dangit!" She screamed after donning her VR gear in subspace, "Can you do nothing, man?!" She made the Suite fly up and ram itself into the fight outside.

The Suite blasted through the ceiling and found itself right into Margo's fists. But it grabbed hold of her arms and started pelting her with card bombs.

"What's wrong with you?!" Margo screamed, "Why are you still fighting?!" Just then, she saw Clarissa and Strong Suit leap up for another combination attack. She started to charge her wings, and that's when the Suite locked Margo in a chokehold, "GACK?!...Why are you..."

"Because grudges make you look hideous!" the lookalike girl taunted, "FACT!"

As soon as Clarissa was within striking range, Margo's IS momentarily acted on its own, firing and energy ball behind her while grabbing onto the Suite's arms and crunching her body upward. This resulted in Strong Suit's strike being deflected right at Clarissa; and Clarissa's sword completely missing Margo, and instead hitting the Suite square in the gut, emptying its shield energy and sending it into Mandatory Unlock. All three crashed through the parking garage until they hit the first floor. Strong Suit had finally fizzled out of existence. Clarissa's VT system had reached its limit and caused her IS to revert back to its original state.

But the Suite was immobile. The girl couldn't get it to move no matter what, "No, no no no no no! Don't do this to me now! Do I have any more items?!" She waved her hands out, and an empty screen popped up, "Oh...well then..." she took off her visor and screamed into it, "HEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEELP!"

"Ah!" Lynn suddenly felt a surge of energy moving her body upright, away from the crowd of people trying to help her.

"Where are you going?" Someone asked.

"I gotta help him!" Lynn said.

"In your condition?!" A department store manager protested, "No, you need a medic!"

"Yeah! If you go, you'll get hurt!" Someone else shouted.

"And if I don't, he'll get killed!" Lynn didn't listen and blasted out of the mall.

Margo had found where Clarissa and the Suite were located and descended upon their spots in the garage. "Well, well, well," Margo taunted, "How's it hanging, you two?"

Things were going badly in the IS subspace. The girl flailed frantically, "It's hanging! It's literally hanging!" She ran to Lincoln's limp body, "Wake up, albino! There is evil afeet!"

Clarissa was struggling to move her IS, "It's going well, thank you..." She was able to move only her railgun, which she kept firing, even though Margo swatted all her shots away.

"Oh, it will be," Margo nodded, "Once I am through with you two." She started to gather energy around her wings.

"You mean, the entire city?" Clarissa countered.

Margo raised an eyebrow, "What? Royal Woods? This lot of backwater boonies?"

"And the people," Clarissa grunted, "Look around you. Look at how much you've destroyed. Look how many people you've injured, how many you've possibly killed. Does that not matter to you?"

"I've already given up on everyone else," Margo said as her wings reached full capacity, "It's just me, myself, and I."

Margo let out an all-powerful laser right then and there. Clarissa and the Suite tried to salvage what little energy they had left to muster any type of movement, but they were helpless against the raw power that was hurtling towards them at Mach speed. The laser was on its way to finishing them off.

And it would've...

**_-THOOM!-_**

"What th-"

"**AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAGH**~~~"

...had Lynn not suddenly appeared out of nowhere to take the hit for them.

"No! Lynn!" Clarissa attempted to use her wire daggers to pull Lynn out of the laser's wrath, but they were immediately disintegrated upon contact.

The lookalike girl saw the entire thing from her VR headset, "No! No no no no no! NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!"

And by the time the laser blast was finished, Lynn had already ran out of energy. Once the laser was gone, Lynn's IS exploded. Her body rolled out of the giant puff of smoke and onto Lincoln's body. That forced Lincoln's IS to retreat into Standby Mode.

Clarissa saw the scene unfold and lost all hope of anyone surviving, "No...no...it can't be..." She withdrew her IS, causing her to feel a sharp pain the moment she landed on the floor, "AARGH! Ugh...We can't...go out like this..." she limped over to giant puff of smoke that engulfed Lincoln and Lynn, and pulled out a gun, "Don't make me do this, Margo...don't make me regret...huh?..." When she was inside, she saw Margo, still floating above Lincoln and Lynn, wings and arms completely drooped. She shot at Margo, but she got no reaction from anyone. "What...what has happened?..." she gasped, then looked around, "Strong Suit?! Strong Suit, where are you?!" Nothing. No response anywhere. She tapped her earpiece, "Come in, AAdsz. We have an emergency."

"I've already alerted the city," Chandler commed over to her, "Police, medics, and fire should be turning into the parking lot now."

"Verstanden," Clarissa said before she fell to the floor, completely exhausted, "Where...Why...Commander, we failed...we couldn't do it..."

Unbeknownst to her, all three small town pilots had been pulled into IS subspace. And Lincoln was the first to wake up-

"AAAH! HOLY MACKEREL WHAT IN THE MOTHER OF-glup?"

Lincoln did three double takes just to verify his sanity. When he finished, he was suddenly flat on his back, on a hospital parking lot. "Oh, it's this time of mind, eh?" He muttered, "Margo was pretty strong, so I guess we're gonna get a pretty messed up backstory?"

Just then, he heard an older man's echoing voice, "His bipolar is getting worse."

"Ope, that's my cue," Lincoln got up and ran inside the building. He followed the echo until he found the office it came from, then had a peek inside. He saw a doctor with a mother, a boy, and what looked like a younger version of Margo.

"I'm gonna start increasing the dosage of the medication," the doctor said, "Make sure he takes it before every breakfast and dinner."

"And what about the neural surgery?" The mother asked, "The more his disorder worsens, the worse the bullies act around him."

"Can it cure my brother?" Margo asked while hugging the boy.

"It's possible..." the doctor solemnly nodded, "...but experimental... and costly."

"Dangit!" The mother exclaimed when she saw the price, "We can't afford it, even with insurance!"

"Then, you'll just have to settle with the medicine," the doctor said, "I've already spoken with the surgeons...they won't do it without payment."

The mother whimpered, while little Margo placed her head on her brother's shoulder, "It's ok, Kenneth...We'll get through somehow..."

"Whoa..." Lincoln whispered, "Did it start here?" He saw Margo exit the office in tears and followed her out of the hospital. But when he left the main door, he found himself on a playground with some older kids, and what looked like Margo's brother, the same person he saw before. Only, he was surrounded by older kids.

"Come on, Big K!" One kid jeered, "Do it again!"

"No, I won't!" The boy protested, "You can't make me!"

"Wanna bet?" Another kid started pushing him into another. And another started pushing, and then the kids started taunting him:

"What's wrong, Kenny? Gonna let your little sissy save your ass?"

"Turn into that freakish windmill you always act like!"

"Look at him! He's so scared, his alter ego's pissing his pants!"

"Maybe he was too nice for his own good!"

"Let's take him into the cleaners and teach him how to be a real man."

They all laughed at that notion. Except Kenny. He suddenly snapped without any time given to prepare. He just grabbed the nearest bully's hands and reeled him in for a knee to the chin, and several punches to the face. But it didn't last long.

"Congrats, Big K," one of the bullies locked him in a chokehold, "You're finally a real man." He loosened his grip on Kenny, if only to enjoy the croaks and gasps for air bellowed after each blow his other friends landed on Kenny.

"No...no!" Lincoln finally realized what exactly he was seeing, "STOP!" He instinctively charged at the bullies to try and free Kenny, the same instant Margo saw what was happening and tried to intervene. But the instant he ran into them, they evaporated. "RAAAGH-Huh?! Where did-" SMACK! "BLUGHUGHooooohhh..." He smacked into a brick wall. When he shook his head, he saw that he was inside a school. An empty one, save for the same kid he saw earlier, the same bullies he saw earlier, his mother, and Margo.

And a man who looked like the school principal, "Young man, do you have any idea what you've just done?"

"But they all came onto me!" Kenny protested, "They were gonna take me to the cleaners and-"

"I don't wanna hear it!" The principal cut him off, then patted the person Kenny beat up on the shoulder, "This student was supposed to go to the UIL Finals, but you prevented him from doing so. I hope it was worth it, because you are hereby suspended."

"How can you say that about him?!" His mother tried to say something, "Do you have any idea what he's been through since he came here?! Have you done anything to-"

"If you mention anything about his so-called "bipolar disorder" one more time," the principal growled, "I will expel him."

"Wha...wha..." the mother was crushed.

"Bottom line: we have done everything we can to help him," the principal said, "everything from special education classes to weekly therapy visits. None of it is working, and his behavioral snaps get worse week by week."

"What about the doctors' notes?" Margo asked.

"That doesn't matter," the principal said, "What matters is that we have a serious case of assault on our hands, and until further notice...you can't come back, Kenneth."

Lincoln gasped at what he heard. No person in their right mind would every say anything like that, let alone throw out a "IT DOESN'T MATTER" at a doctor's note note. Only two possibilities made sense in his mind, based on what he's seen: either the principal and the bullies were in on the act, or the principal was simply too enamored with his own reputation to expose the problems of his school. Either way, Lincoln assumed that the principal did receive the notices and just trashed them. His suspicions were raised even further when he saw the looks on the bullies and the principal's faces after Margo's family left. The principal phased through Lincoln and walked out wiping the sweat off his brow, as if he had just avoided a major catastrophe. The bullies were smirking, as if they have just gotten rid of a major stain on their pride.

Lincoln wanted to get back at them, but then he realized where he was and knew that he couldn't do anything about what had already happened. He followed the family out of school and into a time skip, where he was suddenly taken into a living room at nighttime. He waited until he heard some boxes being pushed to move further into the house. Then, he walked into the kitchen, where he saw the family having one last meal there.

"I don't get it," Kenny said while staring at his plate, "Of all the places we could go to, why Royal Woods?"

"It's a small town that has a home owners association," the mother said, "As long as we can get a good mortgage down, we don't have to worry."

"But it's right next to Hazeltucky," Kenny said, "How's that any better than-"

"Because we won't have to deal with those rotten people anymore," Margo said with her eyes closed, "They hate people who harass others...or so I heard."

"Honestly, I hope that's true..." the mother said, "These people..." before throwing a box full of family photos to the ground, "Just because my husband's gone doesn't mean that they can come on us like this! I mean, don't they have any respect for us anymore?!"

"Mom! Mom! Don't!" Margo tried to stop her.

"I barely make enough money for myself anymore! How do they expect me to raise a-"

"MOM! DON'T SAY IT!"

"Wha?!..." the mother was taken aback by Margo's sudden outburst. But then, she realized what her two children had just heard and ran to hug them, "You're right...I shouldn't be looking back like that...We just have to keep looking forward."

Kenneth walked up some stairs, into his room. It seemed like a normal room, except the mirror on his dresser his several indents and scratch marks that he made. "Dangit..." he cursed, "What did I do to deserve this?... Why did I have to be the problem child?..." The moment he thought about that, he suddenly snapped and went on a rampage. He went back inside his closet and spent a solid minute thrashing his shelves and hangers until he suddenly calmed down. He re-emerged from his closet a very changed person, as if he had just seen the light. "Ok, Kenny," he said, "Gotta go down and sort everything out." And he made his way downstairs and joined his two kin in preparation for the move.

Which creeped out and disgusted Lincoln, "Ok... I don't know what personality disorders he really has... but I'm gonna go on a limb and say that he way in the wrong place at the wrong time."

He left the house and suddenly found himself in another house, this time in Royal Woods. It was a one story house, but it looked much nicer than the previous one. Just a block away, he could see his family playing in the front yard of his house of years ago. He saw Margo and her brother walking past the house.

"I still don't get it," Kenneth said, "I thought mom said we could afford the mortgage, but..."

"The cost of living is surprisingly cheap around here," Margo said, "And the townsfolk don't seem to mind us."

"But there has to be a reason it's so cheap," Kenneth thought, moments before he turned to his right and saw the young Louds playing rough. The two oldest, the blondes, caught his glancing and returned a pair of worrisome looks to him, then to each other.

"Who is he, Leni?" The older one said, "I've never seen a boy literally _that_ scroungily dressed before in my life."

"Look at him, Lori," the younger one pouted, "I totes wanna hug him and give him a makeover!"

"Eugh, forget it, sister," Lori waved her hand, "You're never gonna find him anywhere near me. I bet not even the fleas would mourn him."

Kenneth misread what they were mouthing and assumed that the rumors about him have already spread, "Look at them, Margo. They're already talking, just like the rest of them."

"Maybe because you're too dressed like a hobo drunkard on a rampage against air," Margo quipped.

"Hey, come on!" Kenneth wailed, "I don't look that shriveled up!...Do I?..."

That's when Margo yanked his arm and dragged him to the local clothing store.

Lincoln tried to catch them, but then he saw Lori whisper something to Lynn, who then whispered something to his younger self. And that's when his memory was further triggered, "Whoa...my head...ugh..." he wobbled a little bit, but then he regained his senses when he heard the younger Lynn say:

"Careful around that guy, little bro. He's really nasty trouble."

The little Lincoln simply nodded.

"Nasty trouble?!" The real Lincoln yelled, "I just saw him take a societal punch to the throat! How's that even...ugh, I don't know what to believe anymore..." Lincoln rattled his head and went to a nearby water fountain to clear his head.

As soon as he calmed himself down, he soon found himself inside a bathroom, "GOOD NIGHT! WHAT?!" He immediately ran out and into what looked to be Royal Woods Middle School, the cafeteria at lunchtime. "Hey, wasn't I supposed to go here?"

He walked around the bustling cafeteria, students unknowingly phasing through him. He eventually found younger versions of Luan and Luna shooting a breeze with a group of friends at one table.

Then, he saw Kenneth enter the scene, with brand new clothes seemingly bought. He took in a massive deep breath and exhaled, "Ok...So far so good...just have to keep a level head..."

Lincoln thought Kenneth would do ok. New clothes and a positive plan were always a good call for a safe day...that was, until a younger Lori walked in. Then, he realized that this was the moment that Margo referred to, the moment that started the madness, "Oh no...am I gonna see what I think I'm gonna see?..."

He saw Kenneth sit down beside some random kids who didn't seem to mind his presence.

Until Lori showed up and said, "Well, I didn't think you had it in you."

"Huh?" Kenneth turned around and recognized her, "You...you're that girl..."

"You can buy all the designer clothes you want," Lori taunted him, "and it will change literally nothing."

"What's your problem?!" Kenneth snapped back, "Why are you so grating on me?!"

"Ohohooo," Lori was slightly offended by Kenneth's remark and decided to join Luna and Luan at the lunch table, "Hey, girls. You-know-who's back."

Luna just took one look at Kenneth, before she narrowed her eyes, "Eugh...the new Hazelnut..."

"Wow," Luan quipped, "And I thought Ms. Bitterns was the Hazelnutcase here."

"Hey-o!" One of Luna's friends high-fived her. And then, the entire table started talking weird rumors about him.

Lincoln watched in horror. The thought of Lori ruining someone through mere words was always in the back of his mind, no matter how much he denied it. He never thought it would start so soon, and with the brother of his sister's future best friend. He saw Kenneth turn the other way, thinking that Lori would have thought nothing of it. But he saw a mean smirk on her face, meaning that she was fully locked onto him as a target for her antics. He ran out of the cafeteria and into a giant hallway, where he saw Kenneth walking with his head down, trying to avoid the many peering glances of the students around him. But they all got to him. They were all staring at him while whispering rumors and weird tales about him.

And he just couldn't look away. He saw those same eyes before. Eyes of the students at the IS Academy. And those same stories and rumors he heard...

"I bet his mom bites whale bubbles."

"I heard his sister keeps having to bail him out."

"Why'd a scrub like him have to come here?"

"No one likes a rough tumbler."

Lincoln whispered, "How long..." When Kenneth left the hallway, the whisper became a wail, "HOW LONG HAS SHE BEEN KEEPING THIS FROM ME?!" He covered his ears and eyes, and crouched down, "What else has she not told me?! How many more secrets am I supposed to uncover BEFORE SOMEONE STARTS TELLING ME SOMETHING?!"

As soon as he shouted that, the noise around him stopped. He opened his eyes and found himself back in Margo's new house. This time, the dinner table was fully set, and the family was enjoying themselves. Almost...

While Kenneth was staring blankly at his food, Margo was happily slurping her spaghetti, "I just met this preppy girl named Lynn, and we are hitting it off big time!"

"Oh, that's good to hear!" Her mother cheered.

"Wait, what?!" Lincoln said, "That's not at all what Margo told me!"

"She's really into sports, so I'm hoping to see what kind of tricks she can teach me!" Margo wolfed down her meal.

"That's exciting! I can't wait to see you in action!" Her mother tussled her hair, then turned to Kenneth, who was still staring at his food, "Kenneth?"

"Huh! Oh? Oh..." Kenneth snapped out of his trance and turned to his mother, "Yeah?"

"You're time in middle school is hard?"

"Yeah, I mean, I never thought I'd be hit with so much homework," Kenneth lied,

"I know it's hard now, but you just have to keep going at it," the mother encouraged, "There is a support group that can help you throughout this time. Just think about giving them a chance."

"I guess," Kenneth said without trusting her. Back in Hazeltucky, he found a support group that turned out to be the exact opposite of what he had hoped for. He wondered how this time would be any different.

Lincoln watched with great concern. Margo said that Lynn stole everything from her, and yet here she was complete stoked about what she was going to learn from Lynn. "This doesn't add up...At all..." he rubbed his eyes, "What about her was easily warped into this giant mental blob monster of a brain?..."

He watched Kenneth go back to his room and take a double dose of his medicine.

He got his answer as soon as he turned behind him. Kenneth was walking to the flagpole, waiting for his ride home, when several boys suddenly surrounded him.

"Hey, guys..." Kenneth greeted, "Is something wrong?"

"Yeah!" One kid shouted, "You! Smelly!" And pushed him.

"Excuse me?!" Kenneth exclaimed.

"You're gonna cause up a nasty stink around here!" Another kid said, "Why don't you just leave already?!"

"He can't, dude. His mom?" Another kid nudged, "You should hear what she does!"

Lincoln winced, "Oh, no. No, no, not this!" On instinct, he ran to put a stop to the harassment, but just like before with Laura's past vision, he can't influence anything here. "Hey! Margo! Lynn! Femme me!" He screamed, "Anybody! Make it stop!"

His screams did nothing. The insults just kept coming until Kenneth bowed his head and curled his fists.

"Look at him! He's so shook!" A kid nudged him.

"Come on! It's no fun punching a bag," another taunted, "Fight back, limp noodle!"

"Freak."

"Slut moth."

And the names just kept coming, and coming...until...

One of the kids made a fatal mistake, "What's the matter, midget? You're not gonna-" **CRACK!**

Kenneth snapped. He lashed out at the biggest of the group; he uppercut the person's chin, knocking him out instantly. Then, he stomped on that person's stomach, waking him back up and causing a small vomit of phlegm to leak out.

The others recoiled in horror; their de facto leader has been one-shot by a victim of their antics. Lincoln froze when he saw what had become of Kenneth's eyes. Before he came across this sight, there was a slight glimmer in those eyes, hinting at some kind of hope for his humanity that he was still clinging onto. Now, those eyes have gone completely dull. They're staring at the hands that repelled the bully that was on him. And they were scanning the very kids that used to scorn him.

Kenneth moved his fist up, and they flinched. He took one step forward, and they all backed away. Kenneth had never felt so intimidating before. His eyes changed to a glimmering sheen, one that was unrecognizable even to Lincoln.

Kenneth decided to take a stand, "Who else wants some?!"

No one moved. No one dared draw close.

Except one person, "Hey, man...sorry. We just wanted to make-"

"Just wanted to mess with me?!" Kenneth shouted, "Lori's long gone, and you're still on her antics like some pinup pimps?!"

"I mean...well, it was...at first-"

Then came Kenneth's next lines, the very paragraph that sealed his fate, "Not anymore! You're not gonna mess with me anymore! If you ever try to mess with me again, I'll blind you!" When the bigger kid tried to wake up, Kenneth pounded his fist in his head.

Lincoln had no idea how vicious middle school was. He had no idea how bad Kenneth had it, not did he have any idea just how far they were willing to go to make his life absolute hell. If this was the effect that one person had on another's life...

"No, no no no," Lincoln slapped himself, "Margo and Kenneth are way too young. There's no way Phantom Task could've planned this early..."

Well, no, but there was someone who did get to him. Lori first crossed eyes with Kenneth all those years ago. She was with him when he was in sixth grade...which meant whatever rumors she started about him persisted even as she advanced through to high school. And whatever traditions those rumors started have carried over to the next generation in that middle school. The kids that were with Kenneth when the beat down occurred had already picked up on those traditions and attempted to bring him further down the emotional pipes of inferiority.

But they failed. Instead, Kenneth snapped and chose to fight back. And now, he's fully assimilated into the mindset that pervaded Lori's presence.

And Lynn was about to get a taste of it. Lincoln was suddenly inside a huge van that contained a younger version of Lynn, "Oh, criminy jickets..."

"Now, I want you to be on your best behavior," he heard the voice of Rita, "Don't cause any trouble. Understand?"

"Yes, mother," Lynn nodded, "I won't do anything out of the ordinary."

"Aww, you're such a good girl," her mother tussled her hair, "I'll have a nice meal when you come home."

Moments later, the van phased through Lincoln and he was suddenly in front of a bustling middle school, with Lynn. "Oh no," he said, "If this is the first day..."

"Alright, kid," Lynn said to herself, "Make a good impression, friendly with everyone...yeah, I can do this." And she walked in with her head held high.

Completely unaware of who's watching her from the window of a classroom.

"That's her," Kenneth said to his band of thugs, "That's the blonde's sister."

"In other words," one of his friends rubbed his hands in excitement, "It's time to have some fun."

"Oh boy..." Lincoln rushed inside and tried to alter what would come next. But he couldn't. Lynn still got teased in class as Farty McStinkFace, stuck in the worse desk the class had to offer, and got lost in the basement of all places, all thanks to some behind the scenes planning by Kenneth and his gang.

Lincoln couldn't take it anymore and slumped, "Ok...enough...I know where this is gonna go, so just stop already..."

Suddenly, a voice behind him, "No, little bro..."

"Huh?" Lincoln looked behind him and saw his sporty sister, taken back to her pre-middle-school age, "Lynn...what..."

"There's more," young Lynn pointed ahead of her.

And suddenly, Lincoln was inside Lori and Leni's room, where the pair were talking to Lynn about their first days.

"It's like a giant hornet continuously stinging me to no end," Lynn said, "It really hurts...I don't know what to do..."

"You saw a hornet?!" Leni jumped, "No! No, no, no, I'm out. Don't even-"

"Leni!" Lori grabbed her hand, "It's just a metaphor! There is no bug!"

"Geez..." Lynn whispered

"Well, this is all very riveting to be sure," Lori said, "But if you see it as becoming an endless cycle, I suggest you do something you wouldn't normally do."

"And what would that be?"

"Fight back."

"Fighting?" Lynn repeated, "Do you have any idea how much trouble that would land me?"

"It's better to suffer for the moment than risk living an entire lifetime of sorrow."

"Yeah...when you put it like that-"

"Oh, I get it," Leni suddenly chimed in.

Lori sighed, "You're too late with the-"

"No, I mean the moment part," Leni turned to Lynn, "Just say what you need, and we'll toughen you up!"

"Heheh, wow," Lynn grinned, "And here I was, about to ask you for training."

Lincoln was bewildered, "I don't...No, that's not... what?!"

Another voice from behind, "That's only half of it."

"Oh no..." Lincoln winced, "No, no, no, please not this!"

Margo came out and placed her hand on his head, "If you wanna know the truth, you have to."

Lincoln sighed, "Fine...ok...lemme have a look..." He walked out of Lori's room and suddenly found himself in Margo's room, where she and Kenneth were busy with a fighting game.

"So," Margo said, "you've got yourself a new band of friends, yeah?"

"Yeah," Kenneth said, "It's gotten to the point where I didn't need my meds anymore. I've never been more happy in my life."

"Heeey! Bummer vacation made it all worth it!"

"Yeah, I'll say," Kenneth nudged, "It wasn't easy-Flip Kick!"

"Aw, dangit!" Margo grunted, "When'd you get so good?!"

"So, I heard you made a sporty friend?"

"Yeah, but she said she had a rough first day of school. She wouldn't stop going on about how she's gonna toughen up."

"Sheesh...hope things turn out ok for her."

"So do I-FINISHING MOVE!"

"Aw, what-" KO! PLAYER 'Marberts' WINS! "Oh, nuts..."

Lincoln sat on Margo's bed, once again utterly baffled, "I don't know what to think, now. Should I even be thinking at this point? Is it worth it to try and make sense of this?"

"Probably not," Margo suddenly appeared beside him at her normal age, "because that was the first time in a long time my brother and I hung out like regular siblings."

Lincoln watched as younger Margo and Kenneth enjoyed the final fight. He saw them imitating the last few moves and play-wrestling each other. "And, let me guess..." he quipped, "This is the high point..."

"Yeah..." Margo nodded, "It's the last time I'd ever play with him..."

The instant she finished that sentence, Lincoln found himself on the bench in front of Royal Woods middle school, "Whoa...oh no... no, not again..." He saw Kenneth do handshakes with his friends when Lynn burst out of the front door.

"Hey, fickle knuckles!" Lynn shouted, plucking a piece of gum from her hair, "I ain't done with you!"

"Well, lookie here," Kenneth taunted, "You never learn your lesson, do you?"

"Neither do you!" Lynn threw that piece of gum right at Kenneth. Then, she made her case in one phrase, "What's it gonna take for you to leave me alone?!"

"Know your place, freak!" One of the bullies yelled, "Go back to the locker room and stay there!"

"Only if you wanna feel my fist in your ass!" Lynn countered.

Kenneth smirked, "...did I hear that right?...Did...did you just..."

Lynn maintained her glare. Even as Kenneth pointed to his two friends right beside him. Even as she was being surrounded, she still did not waiver. She got into her fighting stance and prepared for a fight.

"You're not gonna apologize...are you?" Kenneth asked.

"Never," Lynn growled.

"And this is the converging point," Lincoln grunted.

One of the kids tried to rush Lynn, but she was able to punch his jaw and down him. The other tried to swing a few fists, but she easily countered them and pinned him down. Kenneth grabbed Lynn's hair and forced her to release her hold.

"AAAAGH!" Lynn screamed, "OWOWOWOWOWOWOWOW-" THOOM! "-BLUGPH?!" She was silenced by a knee to her gut.

"Wanna keep talking back to me now?" Kenneth gnarled. Lynn gave him a sucker punch to his chin, but it did nothing. Kenneth became enraged and sling several good hits on Lynn. From there, they toyed with her. They hit her, they let her try to get back up, and just when she was about to stand up, they beat her down again.

Lincoln resisted the urge to come to her rescue, due in large part to what he knew would happen next. A younger Lincoln had already ran past him in an attempt to intervene.

All the while, Kenneth was having fun stomping on Lynn, "Hahahahaha! Where's the tough girl now?! Where?!"

Lynn could only gasp. She was already struggling for air, but each blow caused her to scream.

"I think it's time we end this," one of the bullies giggled.

"Yeah," Kenneth nodded, "Let's." He wound up for a brutal punch. But the instant he let his fist loose-

THUD!

Lincoln saw his younger self literally take the punch for her. He saw himself collide with Lynn, making a crater on the grass.

Lynn was released from her captors' grip just long enough to see her brother go down and out. There was nothing she could say to describe what she was feeling. "Huh?...Lincoln..." she weakly pleaded for him to get up, "Why...why did you..." She was halted by her bullies laughter.

"Oh no," Kenneth grinned, "Some wimp got in our way."

"Heheh, better go get him," his friend urged, to which Kenneth happily cracked his knuckles and started walking. But just as he was about to land the final blow-

"There they are!"

Kenneth stopped, "Who the-"

Lori came and tackled him to the ground, "WHAT DID YOU TO THEM?!"

Kenneth saw Luna and Luan take down his two friends, Leni rush to Lincoln and Lynn's side, and Clyde enter the scene with a swarm of teachers and a couple of police officers.

"You!" Kenneth screamed, "YOU'LL PAY! YOU'LL ALL PAY-UGH!" before being taken away by the police, "LET GO! LET ME GO!"

"No can do, son!" The policeman dragged him to the car, "Your mother will want to hear this!"

And somehow, Margo saw the entire thing from inside the classroom. "No...no, this..."

"Margo?!" Kenneth flinched when he saw her in the window, then turned back to call for help, "Margo! I don't know what's happening!"

"Kenny...why..." Margo gasped. She felt something wrong with her chest, so she ran out of the now empty classroom...

...leaving Lincoln behind to ponder over everything he was shown. He no longer had the fortitude to stand, so he laid himself across the teachers desk. When he turned his head, he saw Lynn leaning against the window, overlooking the chaos outside, and Margo sitting on the floor behind him. "...Welp..." he muttered, "I wondered why we were all pulled into this nutty subspace..." he sat down and covered his face, "...Now, I know."

"Lori...it all tied back to her..." Lynn groaned, "I don't know what was inside of her, but it got control of her..." She looked at the police car driving Kenneth and and thought back to the image of that first encounter with Kenneth at the sidewalk, "Maybe it's fair to say that she relinquished control."

"Or maybe she was just a victim of the mental puberty maturation," Margo joked halfheartedly, "The transition period from middle school to high school tends to turn your brain into goo."

Lincoln shook his head. Usually, he could brush off several impactful events, but he couldn't brush this off. None of them could. They all saw the exact same thing he did. They were all forced to confront their past. Margo was forced to admit that she fabricated the story she told Lincoln. Lynn was forced to admit that she was involved in Kenneth's arrest.

And Lincoln...he was forced to witness the truth that had been kept from him. And now, he had to get answers to that truth.

"Quick question," Lincoln said to Margo, "Did Lynn really steal your thunder? Were you really a rising star before we...did that?"

"No," Margo looked down, "I just...I wanted to get away from my life. I can't imagine what Kenny is going through right now. And my mom..."

"She's having massive issues resurfaced?"

"She's a complete wreck. She may look composed on the outside, but she is gonna crumble on the inside."

Then Lynn butt in, "Whereas I've crumbled on the outside."

"What the heck do you mean?" Margo stood up.

"I mean, this is the IS subspace. This place is in our head," Lynn sat down on a desk, "As soon as we're out, I'm gonna be a cripple."

"Lynn? You?"

"Well, unless the IS can operate from my mind and heart...but who'd wanna be a walking health hazard?"

"Oh right...that laser..." Lincoln stared at the ceiling, "That one powerful enough to tear the metal off your cuffs..."

After that, awkward silence. It wasn't until five minutes later that Lynn spoke, "So...what's the big takeaway here?"

"Well," Lincoln responded, "I know I won't come home for the holidays...what about you?"

Lynn didn't bother to look at him. She just kept staring at the window, her facial expressions changing from stoic and stern to sorrowful. She knew that he would isolate himself from her after everything that's happened. She knew what was coming, and yet... "I don't know...I guess...what goes around comes around. Karma. It gets payback..." she turned to Margo, "...no matter whose fault it is."

Margo looked down. She was already able to comprehend the entire situation, but she still found herself in denial, "My brain's a feeble one..."

Lincoln and Lynn glanced at Margo. Then, they glanced at each other. They wondered how they were supposed to comeback from this.

Lynn decided to end the grudge on her own terms. She walked over to the chalkboard and faced Margo directly.

"What?" Margo pouted, "Come to take your last revenge before we wake up from this dream?"

"Actually..." Lynn answered, "Quite the opposite."

"Come to an understanding with me?" Margo scoffed, "Don't make me laugh. You're the only family within a hundred miles with 11 destructive siblings, all so tightly knit together. The only thing I have is a grief-wracked maternal person. Tell me, what could you possibly think to understand about me?"

"Can't I try?" Lynn asked, "Did you really become my friend just to outshine me? Was any of the time we spent together fake?"

Margo didn't look up.

"I can't claim to understand what you're going through," Lynn said, "but that doesn't mean we can't talk about it, can we?"

"There's nothing to talk about. I tried to do away with the both of you. What else is there? We can't change any of that."

"But we can change how we react to it," Lynn put her hand on Margo's shoulder, "I dunno what words to say... but I'd like to find out...with your help."

Margo looked at Lynn's hand, then at Lynn. She was stunned by Lynn's admission. She thought Lynn would grow a hatred for her, but she saw in her eyes. Lynn still thought of her as a friend, "You're serious...you...after all I..."

"Yeah," Lynn nodded, "I forgive you."

Lincoln turned away. Those were the same words that he said to his family before he was pulled away from Royal Woods. He had no idea how Lynn was able to say that to Margo, despite knowing what she knew. He couldn't stand hearing them. "I shouldn't have said that..." he grunted, "I really shouldn't have said that..."

But just as he finished pondering over his words, a different voice entered his head.

_Heeeheehee...I think it's time we had some fun._

"Huh?" Lincoln sat up. He felt a disturbance in the room.

Margo was starting to incur painful headaches, "Ugh...oww...owwwww!..."

"Margo?" Lynn panicked and carried Margo's head, "Margo, what's wrong?!"

Lincoln got off and looked around for any slight changes to the room, but couldn't find any.

Then, his female lookalike suddenly burst in, "Somebody's made the Gospel go berserk!"

"What?!" Lincoln froze, "But that would mean-"

"**AAAAAAAAAAAAAUUUUUUUUUGHH~~~**" Margo's pain has grown immensely. She collapsed and convulsed violently.

"No, no, no, Margo!" Lynn tried to massage Margo's head.

"**LYNN?!**" Margo screamed, "**WHAT'S HAPPENING TO ME?!**"

"Her mind is going into shutdown!" Lincoln rushed to their side, "We'll get you out of there!" Too late. The moment he touched her body, he was instantly shocked, "AAAAAAAAAAAGH~~~"

"No!" Lynn tried to pull the two out of the room, but a blinding flash of light engulfed the room.

Seconds later...everything and everyone was gone.


	38. The Third Lesson in Being a Hero

Back in the real world, the shopping mall was packed with bystanders and witnesses alike. They were talking about all the damage that the IS fight caused, and who was behind it. Videos of the angelic IS have already begun to circulate the web. Clarissa was seated on the ground because she had to be treated by a paramedic, while Lincoln and Lynn were inside separate ambulances, stuck in a comatose state.

Clarissa stared at the two sibling pilots. She was haunted by how much pressure they were put under just to put up a fighting chance to bring a crisis to a close. She turned her gaze to the parking garage, which contained a motionless Margo trapped inside the Gospel, with countless authority figures surrounding them.

"Just how am I supposed to describe this scene?..." Clarissa muttered.

"Madam Harfouch?" A nearby scientist called.

"How is it?" Clarissa limped over to her.

"With AAdsz's help, were able to get their mainframes back online," the scientist said, "but that's all we are able to do from here. Without a complete diagnostic, we can't pinpoint the areas of repair. One more fight, and they'll be completely destroyed."

"I see," Clarissa nodded, "Send only the Heavy Battler back to Homesewer. We'll need a full team at the hospital for the Suite." She stared at Lincoln's hands, which had already started twitching, "I fear this isn't the end for Ace Savvy." When the scientist went away, she put her last power cell in Lincoln's hands, "You need to go back...they'll need you now more than ever." And she was right. Because there was a gigantic explosion at the garage. She turned to face the IS. Everyone at the parking lot did. And Lincoln's hand crushed the power cell.

But the Silverio Gospel towered above all else. Its pilot's face was concealed in a helmet, and the body was wrapped in a white bodysuit. It scanned the entire environment around it, and all it saw was scared people. Some of the humans it saw were pointing guns at it; it responded by sending a few energy blasts towards those targets.

"What is she doing?!" A bystander yelled.

"Did that thing take out Lincoln?!" A kid shrieked.

A reporter in a yellow outfit ran up to Clarissa, "You fought that mysterious IS, didn't you?! You must know how it can be beaten!"

"I... Think..." Clarissa stuttered for a moment before she took a deep breath and remembered who her commander was escorting at this moment, "I do know a sure fire way to defeat it..."

"Yes!" The reporter cheered, "Tell us how!"

"But..." Clarissa looked down at her arm, "...only Lincoln's friends can do it..."

"What?! But they're in Japan! How can they even-"

The Gospel interrupted the interview by letting out a sonic boom. Everyone on the ground covered their eyes and ears, meaning the Gospel escaped undetected.

An hour later, Clarissa's team was safely transported to the local ER clinic. Clarissa was on a bench outside Lincoln and Lynn's room, eyeing Lincoln intently. She wondered what kind of conversation he was having inside his head to still be able to twitch his hands ever so slightly. She decided to give him a helping hand, "Herr Loud...listen to me. Your loved ones are in danger, and not just the family here. Ichika, Laura, and Margo...their lives are going to collide with each other. Neither I nor my superiors know what to do." She turned to the front of the clinic, where a rather large group of nurses and doctors gathered outside, no doubt discussing Lynn's condition. She sighed and looked down, "I know you always have a plan for everything. You have to have planned for this...Just..." she cupped her hands together and started to whisper, "...please tell me what you're going to do..."

As she closed her eyes, Lincoln's started to twitch, trying to force open his line of sight. But as he was struggling to break free of his medical bed, his consciousness was stuck in IS subspace. Here, he was fully awake, but he was lying still on the same sandy beach with a forlorn expression, staring at the dusk sky full of different shades of purple and red. The water tried tickling his feet many times to get him to move, but he kept that motionless state.

At least until his lookalike girl came upon and freaked out, "Oh my GOOOOOOOOOD! What is with that IS?! We couldn't even dent that thing!"

"Like that matters anymore..." Lincoln said.

"It does," the girl responded, "because it still has A GIRL ON BOARD!"

Lincoln rolled over so he wouldn't have to face his mirror self. He stared out into the horizon where the sun met the sea, "...what even is the point anyway? I was pulled out at just the right time, it seems."

"To you, maybe, but to them, this is the worst time to be an IS-sensitive gal!"

"Cut the crap, already. Being an IS pilot ain't so hot."

"But you have the power to change the world around you! Don't you wanna change it for good?!"

Lincoln snapped, "And Wait for it to turn bad again?! The hell you think that'll accomplish?!"

The girl kept quiet. Lincoln went back to the setting sun, "Besides, what did that power do? It warped Margo's mind, made a complete monster out of her...not to mention turn classmates into complete jerkwads, and-AND! Let's not forget the fact that Lori has the same power to change the world around her. And she put it to REALLY good use."

"So can you! You can undo all of it!"

"How?!"Lincoln bellowed, "How am I supposed to undo a lifetime of bad choices and impulses?!" He then got up and walked away.

The lookalike girl sighed, "Great...what do I do now?..." She turned to her side for answers. All she got was Night Club and Strong Suit shrugging her shoulders and pointing to a mocktail cabana, where High Card and a small kid with shaggy brown hair were residing.

Lincoln sat on the high stool of the bar, "Gut Puncher, please. Shaken, not stirred."

High Card's voice came through, "Comin' right up!"

Lincoln nodded, then looked out at the sunset. He was reminded of the two rides he took with Lynn, but then he quickly slapped himself, "Nope. None of that here...I'm just gonna let it breathe..."

And then, a lispy childish female voice, "You say that as if it's an absolute."

"Huh?" Lincoln jolted, "Lisa?!" He swerved behind him, and found someone who resembles Lisa, tinkering with a small gadget, "...Oh, hello?..."

The girl stayed her eyes on her work, "Greetings, superior heroic male unit."

"Wuh?..."

"Ok!" High Card emerged with two drinks, "Gut Puncher for Ace, aaaand Mango Friday for Card Counter."

The two took their drinks and sipped them. Lincoln felt a thud in his stomach a few seconds after drinking.

The girl took two sips and smacked her lips, "Hmm...made to my exact specifications. Nicely done."

High Card rolled her eyes and sarcastically accepted, "Pleasure's mine, Miss Counter...(blech)..."

"Great...another one to add to the list..." Lincoln blurted out.

High Card raised an eyebrow, "Something bothering you that much?"

"Yeah..." Lincoln sighed, "I just found out that Lori's responsible for Margo seeking out Phantom Task...she relentlessly bullied and proxy-bullied her brother, and I...may have...gotten his life ruined..."

"Oh?" High Card finished sorting the drinks and leaned in, "and you think you shouldn't have anything to do with that mess anymore? Even though it literally has your last name on it?"

"I'm paying for her mistakes here. What should I do?"

"Well, you could always ask for help. And I mean don't wait for other people to offer help."

"I got help, but..." Lincoln couldn't find the right words to describe how he's feeling.

But High Card did. She stood back up and started to clean the countertop, "So...do you desire power?"

"No, I don't..." Lincoln answered, "I don't want it at all..."

"Why?"

"Because I've seen what it does to people, how it changes them...I don't wanna lose myself the same way..."

"Barnacles!" Out of nowhere...

Lincoln and High Card turned to the kid Card Counter in shock, "Exc_uu_se me?!"

Card Counter didn't look at them, "I have never heard such utter poppycock in my entire life."

"What...do you mean?" High Card demanded.

"I mean, really?" Card Counter continued, "Who would show any sleight of hesitation at that stage of the mission? If you wanted to ask for more power, you would've done it already." Then, she poked her screwdriver at Lincoln, "But the fact that you haven't means you've been holding on to some unnecessary insecurity I could've done away with using my ear canal scraper!"

"Maybe you can at least give me a clue I how to proceed?" Lincoln asked, "I've got a friend's life in danger thanks to this whole mess Lori created!"

"And why would that matter?" High Card asked, "You can always ask her about it afterwards. I doubt she'd lose sleep over it, though."

Lincoln had to agree. This was caused by Lori's prepubescent meddling, but he was the only person capable of fixing this mess. "But why me? Why always me?" He wondered.

"Well, that's the way life's been hardwired for you," High Card shrugged, "All that talk about changing your destiny is hoopla. All you can do is use it to your advantage."

"Great...I was right..." Lincoln slammed his head on his drink, "I thought there'd be some way out, but nope...I'll be a lightning rod forever..."

"And what's wrong with being a lightning rod?" Card Counter interrupted.

"What's that?" Lincoln groaned.

"It's a device capable of withstanding instantaneous bolts of lightning," Card Counter rambled on, "which are over 400,000 amperes and nearly 27,700 degrees Celsius over the span of a millisecond."

"Uhhhh?"

"In other words, you're more durable than you think. Yes, you'll suffer temporary malfunctioning, but you can easily restore yourself with little rest time."

Lincoln shook his head in disbelief, "That's not what I asked."

"But it is what you need to hear," Card Counter said, "Your moral durability is much higher than this. Why do you choose now of all times to complain?" Card Counter then turned a leery eye to Lincoln, "Especially over a prepubescent mistake long forgotten by the main party involved?"

Lincoln clammed up. He didn't know whether to feel angry or concerned for Lori. The family has usually taken responsibility for their actions, and the times they don't are met with harsh repercussions...at their knowingness. This was different. Halfway through puberty and the tweenage years, Lori forgot about her causing someone's life to be threatened. "Dang...how should I go about this?"

"What have you always done?" High Card asked.

"Oh, you know..." Lincoln hesitated to answer, "...just the usual thing..."

"Then do that..." High Card proceeded to create another mocktail, "...with a slight change."

Card Counter got curious, "What is this 'change' you speak of?"

"Well, I was thinking..." High Card bounced across the bar to make her mocktail, "...that you go ahead and fix her mess, buuuuut-HA! Found it!...you tell everyone you know who caused it...simple as that..." she stared to mix her ingredients, "And that way, Lori will be held accountable, and that accountability will pass through her, and go to everyone else-MM! Little sour, but this should do," she passed the mocktail to Lincoln.

"Much like how a lightning rod conducts all that raw electrical power to the ground," Card Counter commented, "Maybe all that power goes to charge another energy source, or it simply dissipates into the soil. Either way, something received the lightning and the rod is ready to receive another strike."

Lincoln took a sip of his drink, "Huh...tastes like... the Gut Puncher..."

"Because I made a slight change to it," High Card held up her index and thumb, "Literally a slight change."

"Huh..." Lincoln pondered for a few seconds before realizing how he missed that simple little change he could've made the week before he left for Japan, "Ohhhh..."

"And you had the opportunity to make that change long ago, didn't you?" High Card winked.

"Uh-Huh," Lincoln sheepishly nodded, "'I forgive you' shoulda been 'I'll think about it'...right?..."

"Yup," High Card said, "A slight change, barely noticeable by anyone on the outside...that's what should have happened."

"And another thing," Card Counter added, "If you see something that needs to be done, just do it. Especially if it involves another's well being."

Then, out of nowhere, Strong Suit: "Because yesterday, you said tomorrow! So just-" megaphone "-DO IT!" The mega sound cannon she made shattered the hut into a pile of sticks. Surprisingly, they completely missed the trio at the bar.

"May I ask what the point of that was?..." Card Counter growled while High Card held up a poster with a thumbs down.

"No, you may not!" Strong Suit declared.

Lincoln finished his drink and realized he hadn't touched the Gut Puncher, "Oh, I got you something." He allowed Strong Suit to hop on the bar and take a sip of the drink.

"Mmm...very tang-OOOF..." and she instantly felt it, "My...That definitely feels like a gut punch..."

"Oh, you're just in time," High Card said.

"Huh?..." Strong Suit slowly lifted her head, "For what?..."

"To see if anything we've said sunk in," Card Counter said, "You're welcome to try and comprehend our discussion."

Strong Suit just stared...and smirked, "...Who's the pipsqueak?"

Card Counter turned her screwdriver to Strong Suit, "How dare you make light of my average height, you waste of neurons and glia?!"

"Uh...anyway!" High Card clapped her ands and turned her attention to Lincoln, "So, Ace...do you desire power?"

Lincoln thought long and hard about everything he went through, the experience he gained throughout the semester. When he finally spoke, he chose his words carefully...sort of, "I don't want it, but I need it."

"You what but you what?..." High Card cringed.

Card Counter and Strong Suit leaned in, slightly perplexed by his answer, "Uh...whyyy...?"

"To..." Lincoln said, "... to break the cycle of violence."

High Card and Strong Suit groaned. But Card Counter was genuinely intrigued by his answer, "Continue."

"Well..." Lincoln continued, "...what I've learned is what I feared from the very beginning...There's almost no possible way to break the cycle of the blame-and-game. The only thing that we can do is cope with it the right way, so that when it comes around to us next time, it becomes more bearable, bit by bit. My family back home has already been afflicted by it, but my family abroad is about to feel its effects." He turned to the sun, which was now halfway sunken beneath the surface, "I wanna show them how to make the best of it, so that one day, they might be able to break the cycle completely."

"What about Royal Woods?" High Card asked, "Your family back home?"

"I have a feeling that they're going to figure it out on their own," Lincoln answered, "Through Lynn, Margo, and Kenneth, they will finally wake up to what they could have done."

"And your family abroad?" Strong Suit said.

"Through me and Ichika...they'll carve out their own path-" Lincoln suddenly slapped himself, "And I'll stop there before I get all egotistical and conceited."

Card Counter smiled, "That's all I need to hear." Right when she finished with her gadget, she hopped off her barstool, "Please face the ocean in anatomical position."

"Huh? Wait...Huh?"

"Ugh...another one..."

Minutes later, Night Club and the lookalike girl came out of the ocean laughing and chasing each other.

"I'M THE MEAT PIE WHALE!"

"Don't keel me over! I will-" Night Club stopped the girl, "Hey, what's going on over there?"

"Ace!" The girl shouted and dragged Night Club to the group. They saw Lincoln being scanned in and out by Card Counter's gadget. She ran up to them, "Hey! So, about that Margo girl-"

"Excuse me," Card Counter stopped her, "We're in the midst of a very important process."

"I-haa?!" The girl screamed, "A certain someone could be killed in a sentient IS! What could be more important than that?!"

"Upgrading my super suit so I can catch that IS," Lincoln said.

"What?!"

"Oh, I gotcha," Night Club nodded, "That way, we have a chance of catching the Gospel before Ichika can one-shot it."

"But with the amount of time it's taking to scan, it might already be too late," High Club muttered.

"Unfortunately, yes..." Card Counter sighed, "which means, as soon as we're done here, you'll have to go."

"Do you have a plan?" The girl asked.

"Nope," Lincoln quipped.

Nigh Club flinched, "Then...what was..."

"I just have to go," Lincoln shrugged, "No matter what may stand in my way, I just have to do it. I sense something that needs to be done, so I need to do it. I would say try, but I really only have one shot at this."

"Ugh...we're all gonna die..." the girl groaned.

"Hey, better we make our stride on the high winds than wimp out," Night Club said.

"Ok, calibration has completed," Card Counter took her gadget away and stuffed it in her pocket, "Ok, now call."

"Right," Lincoln nodded and held his belt buckle. But instead of deploying completely, it displayed a diagram of his IS, parts glowing green to display which mechanisms have been upgraded, along with an overall schematic:

SAVVY SUITE: UPGRADE COMPLETE

2ND SHIFT: ACE OF CLUBS

UPGRADED DEFENSIVE CAPABILITY

CARD BOMB BLAST RADIUS INCREASED

NEW ABILITY: "Bad Beat Call"; DAMAGE TAKEN FROM A FATAL HIT IS CONVERTED TO ENERGY TO BE TRANSFERRED TO ANOTHER IS

"Geez..." Lincoln cringed, "We're really hammering in the lightning rod aspect, aren't we?..."

"That's not all," High Card, "Since there's more of us now, we can tag-out anytime someone goes down." She pointed her thumb to Card Counter, who was fixing the shack with Strong Suit.

"Try not to tag-out with me," Card Counter said, "I have very important work to do."

NEW ALLY: CARD COUNTER (DEFENSE TYPE) — SHIELD 11%

"Uh...sure..." Lincoln sheepishly nodded.

"Ok, blubber ball!" the girl grabbed his hand and yanked him along the sand, "Isn't there something you're supposed to do?!"

"Well, trees-us crepes!" Lincoln griped as he was forced along the path to the real world. But halfway through the run, he spotted something peculiar and loosed his hand.

"Huh?!" The girl turned around and saw him heading into a small fenced area, "Oh, what now?!" She ran to him to get him out, but she stopped and gasped as soon as she saw what was inside.

It was a small field of boulders, all with heavy slash marks. None of them were shattered, but they were all done in by a bamboo stick. The mere thought of someone doing that much damage was haunting enough to the lookalike girl, but once she saw who was at the center of it all... "Dude... was this you?..."

"Yeah," Lincoln answered, "A long time ago..." He stood still for a second, then turned around and asked her, "When Margo blasted Lynn with the laser...did you pull the three of us into the subspace?"

The girl nervously nodded.

Lincoln hesitated to ask, "Did I...did I really learn anything?..."

"Only you can answer that," the girl shook her head, "and the only way to do that is to jump in head first."

Once she said that, the world around him started fading away.

"Heh...figured..." Lincoln chuckled, "So, faith, Huh?..." He closed his eyes to block out the light. When he reopened them, he was back in the real world, on his hospital bed, "...ugh... dammit, what happened?..."

Clarissa was standing at his side, "You've been asleep for an hour."

"Really?..." Lincoln groaned, "What happened to Lynn?..."

"Um..." Clarissa looked across the room to see Lynn with an oxygen mask and several cloths covering her body, "The doctor has confirmed that she will stay alive...but the stress of her semester, and the impact of the fight...has culminated in her paralysis of the lower body and upper extremities..."

Lincoln slowly got off his bed and walked over to Lynn. Her body was a total wreck, and yet she was sound asleep, dreaming of a fanciful dream. "What have we done?..." he whispered.

"This is the fault of Phantom Task," Clarissa said, "Margo has been corrupted by them. The German Special Forces are tracking their movements..." she placed her hand on his shoulder, "...but your priority is Margo."

Lincoln gripped Clarissa's and Lynn's hands, "I know...Am I going alone?"

"Ja...both mine and Lynn's IS have been sent to Homesewer for repairs."

"I see..."

Clarissa looked down at her feet, "I...I don't want to ask, but...Can you go now? I fear that the Commander and her team may accidentally kill Margo. You're the only pilot among pilots who can prevent that."

"Gotcha," Lincoln nodded. He then stood at the center of the room and held his belt, "Ok, Ace...we've got a rescue mission. We're gonna set things right with her. Are you in?"

His belt glowed, as if to pledge loyalty to its owner.

"Good," Lincoln nodded. He then, opened the window, and banged his fists together, "Then, it's time to deal out some justice!"

On command, his belt envelopes him in a warm bright light. He jumped out the window and into the open, a mere moment before his IS fully deployed. When the glow dissipated, his IS looked somewhat different. His wing units had grown larger, and his gauntlets became bulkier. At the center of his chest was now the letter A. The IS overall grew two feet in height.

"Your IS evolved..." Clarissa gasped with amazement.

"Yeah," Lincoln agreed, "though I had a little help." He faced the midnight sky and prepped his mind. "Well...wish me luck." And with those words, he took off into the night.

Clarissa could only watch as he left his home yet again. "Good luck," she whispered.

"Mmm..."

Clarissa's ears twitched at that sound of Lynn's moan.

"Lin...coln?..."

Clarissa walked to Lynn's bed and gripped her hand.

"D...don't leave me...alone..."

"It's only temporary," Clarissa whispered, "He'll be back soon."

Meanwhile, back in Japan, the class trip had passed the halfway mark. Most of the class was still reeling from the assignment, though some took this as a chance to blow off even more steam before it came time to cram for the report.

Rin had allied with Laura to get her assignment done. And it has been...

"AAAAAAARGH! WHAT DOES ANY OF THIS MEAN?!"

...unfulfilling.

"I don't get this haunting rumor, and the Core 001 business!" Rin screamed, "Does that say 001 or 000?!"

Laura squinted, "How on earth did you finish middle school?..."

"I don't know! I'm an athlete! Not a nerd!"

"You need a moderate level of intelligence to outwit the other team, do you not?"

"What's that supposed to mean?"

Before Laura could come back with a witty retort, she was interrupted by a voice message from her IS:

**All students with personal units are to assemble at the main parking lot.**

**—ISA Admin**

Rin and Laura stared at the notification with concern.

"You don't think..." Rin muttered.

"It's too soon to tell," Laura said, "We will ask Mentor once this meeting has concluded."

"Right..." Rin stood them both up and led them to the designated area.

At the parking lot, Houki was the first to arrive, much to Cecilia's surprise.

"Well, this is unexpected," Cecilia said, "Why would they call you here when you don't have a personal unit?"

"Probably because I'm gonna get once hand delivered," Houki answered, "No doubt by that bunny woman..."

"Don't you think you have carried this grudge for a bit too long?"

Houki sighed, "Not long enough, I'd you ask me..."

Minutes later, Ichika, Laura, Charlotte, and Rin joined with Cecilia and Houki. The entire group was assembled, just in time for Chifuyu's arrival. The group lined up in front of her.

"As you can see," Chifuyu said, "everyone with a personal unit is assembled here."

"Um, just a minute, ma'am," Rin interrupted, "Houki doesn't have her own personal unit, does she?"

"Um..." Houki stuttered for an answer, "Well..."

"It's alright, Shinonono," Chifuyu walked to her side, "I'll explain everything. The reason she's here is-"

And interruption from "COWABUNGAAAAAAAAAAAA~~~"

That child-like voice. Chifuyu and Houki recognized that sound and mentally prepared for a very annoying encounter. Everyone watched in amazement as a woman with bunny ears and a frilly dress skidded down a rocky cliff and jumped 30 feet into the air. The woman dove down towards Chifuyu headfirst and spread her arms as if to hug her, "CHI-CHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAN!"

Tabane Shinonono. There's no mistake.

Tabane flew right into Chifuyu, only to get caught in the hands. But that didn't stop her in the slightest, "Hello, hello, hello! I've missed you, Chi-chan! Let's hug and kiss and confirm our lover for each other~"

"Would you just shut up already?" Chifuyu struggled to keep Tabane down.

"~Ooh, always using the Unforgiving Iron Claws, aren't you~?" Tabane ignored Chifuyu's demands and simply went onto Houki, who was hiding behind a bus, "Ta-daaaa! Hi there!"

"Yes..." Houki nervously grunted, "Hello to you too..."

"Hahaha, it's been a while, hasn't it? I wonder, how many years has it been?" Tabane wondered before going on a nostalgia frenzy, "Oh, I can't believe how much bigger you've gotten, little sister!" Then, she momentarily became grabby-feely, "Especially your boobies!" And she got hit with a wooden blade- "BOGHUUUUUWUUUWUUU..."

"We haven't seen each other for years, and THAT'S HOW YOU GREET ME?!" Houki snapped.

Tabane wore a sad face and rubbed her cheeks, while still maintaining her childish behavior, "Have a little sympathy before you hit someone?" She turned to Ichika, "She's a real dominatrix, isn't she, Ikkun?"

"That's a bit much..." Ichika scratched his head, while the others stood dumbfounded by her behavior, especially since she was a grown woman.

Chifuyu sighed and ruined her moment, "Well, since you're here, why don't you introduce yourself?"

Tabane groaned, "Ugh, but that's always such a pain..." She sucked it up though and twirled around before introducing her geniusness, "Haa, okie, Hi, how are you, my name is Tabane the Genius, hello, that's all...that's it."

All the girls propped up after hearing that. Charlotte, Rin, and Laura were amazed by the mere presence of the creator of the IS...But Cecilia was surprised in an unpleasant manner.

"_You're _Tabane?..." Rin gasped.

"As in, Tabane, the brilliant scientist who invented the IS units?!" Charlotte exclaimed.

"_THE_ Tabane Shinonono?!" Laura said.

Tabane started to care only when they acknowledged her as the Creator, "Heeheehee," the twinkle in her eyes was all it took to summon a giant diamond pillar to the sky, "NOW EVERYONE LOOK UP TO THE HEAVENS!" With her finger pointed upward, she mentally called the pillar down.

"Da-dadada-da-da-da-daaaa! This is Houki's personal unit, the Akatsubaki! All of its specs are way above the current models, and it was handmade by me, Tabane!"

"This little beauty is a 4th Generation-type IS, and Tabane the genius created it especially for Houki!"

"_Fourth Generation?!_" Charlotte couldn't believe her ears.

And neither could Cecilia, "But all the other countries are working on the prototypes of the _THIRD_ Generation models! Yet, she's already..."

A little showboating from Tabane, and the stage was set for Houki to take her place among her comrades. Houki herself was a little speechless, and who could blame her? After all, what was she supposed to say to the person who disappeared from her life when she needed her the most, only to show back up years later with a weapon of her own to take part in the world her sister helped create?

After the order to mount up, Houki went to her brand new personal unit, the Akatsubaki, and settled herself in the cockpit. It was everything she thought it would be. Just the right fit and comfortable feeling, vastly different from the clunky fitting of the Uchigane. While Tabane was finishing the formatting process, Houki's mind ran wild with thoughts about soaring in the sky with Ichika. But this was just a test run, and she'd have to fly solo for now. And once the test run started, she immediately felt the Akatsubaki's power. Her takeoff time and overall speed and maneuverability was vastly superior to those on the ground. She was given twin katanas, both of which could split the clouds without any effort. And when a surprise missile ambush tried to pursue her, she easily evaded them, slashing them all down with one energy wave from her blade.

Houki was amazed at the power she held in her hands. She felt like she could do anything. She would feel very elated...if it weren't for the fact that her sister made it. That nagging feeling of a hidden agenda, however fleeting...

"Miss Orimura!"

...was interrupted by a very alarmed Maya bursting onto the scene with her phone blaring all sorts of red notifications. "Miss Orimura!" She screamed as she ran to Chifuyu and shoved her phone in her chest, "Look at this!"

Chifuyu stared at Maya with suspicion as she scrolled through the alerts. When she finished, her eyes were wide with worry about what she saw:

**LEVEL D SECURITY ALERT: UNKNOWN IS WILL INVADE JAPANESE AIRSPACE. ALL IS ACADEMY STAFF ARE TO ASSUME BATTLE POSITIONS IMMEDIATELY **

**—**

**LEVEL A PRIORITY MISSION: ROUGE IS DETECTED — SILVERIO GOSPEL**

**—**

**OPERATION SAVE THE LAKES AND WOODS: DAMAGE REPORT**

**-CASUALTIES: DEAD 10, INJURED 82**

**-PILOTS: LINCOLN LOUD (IN PURSUIT), CLARISSA HARFOUCH (DOWN), LYNN LOUD (DOWN), MARGO ROBERTS (DOWN), KIM HA-JIN (RETURN), AKINA SHINOHARA (RETURN)**

**-TARGET IS HAS BEEN COMPROMISED AND IS CLASSIFIED AS HIGH PRIORITY ROUGE UNIT. TARGET PHANTOM TASK HAS EVADED CAPTURE, BUT DETAILS OF THE ASSAILANT HAVE BEEN MADE PUBLIC.**

"No..." Chifuyu muttered before regaining her usual demeanor.

"It can't be..." Laura recognized that very brief glint of surprise in her mentor's eyes.

Chifuyu declared, "This is a level A Priority mission, and it looks like countermeasures have already been activated."

"Does that mean?..." Maya whispered

"It's too soon to tell," Chifuyu said before turning to her students, "This test is suspended for now. I'm afraid there's something I'll need all of you for."


	39. Coming to a Head

All the students with personal ISs had been moved to the makeshift command center at the lodge's luxury suite. Maya had pulled up a 3d floor display of the surrounding region, which had also displayed locations of pilots who were locking down the neighborhoods and evacuating the local populace. The students capable of fighting were sat around the display map, wondering whether or not the IS was indeed the one they were warned about.

Chifuyu stepped forward and announced the situation, but she needed to keep Lincoln's involvement a secret. So, she slightly altered the truth, "Two hours ago, the Silverio Gospel, nicknamed the Gospel, a 3.5 Generation IS unit jointly developed by America and Israel, went rouge. Reports indicate that the unit began running wild while performing tests maneuvers that were carried out off the seas near Hawaii. Word has now come that the unit has disappeared from the area it was originally observed."

Ichika and Charlotte were shocked that an IS went rouge for the second time this term, and started to wonder what...or who was behind it. Cecilia, Rin, and Laura just sat silent, already aware of what transpired before the Gospel went rouge. Houki merely sat attentively, already trying to figure out a strategy to bring it down.

"What's important," Chifuyu continued, "is that, according to our information, it is an unmanned unit."

"Again..." Ichika whispered, now extremely suspicious of the unit itself.

Meanwhile, Lincoln was flying over California, just now leaving the US. He was trying to open a communication link with the IS Academy while pursuing the Gospel, but he had no luck making a stable connection, "Dangit, come on! Why can't I contact them?!" He saw that just attempting to open a private connection was costing him energy and shut it off, "Not now...I'll try again after I'm back in Asia..."

Back in the command center, Chifuyu had finished the preliminary summary and opened the floor to students, who had just been informed that they are the ones who will stop the rouge unit. "Before we begin the official mission brief," Chifuyu said, "this is the time to ask any questions you may have."

Cecilia raised her hand, "Ma'am, may I have full specs and data of the target IS?"

Chifuyu nodded, "Yes, that's a reasonable request. However, if any of this information is leaked, you'll be tried in a court of inquiry and placed under a minimum two years house arrest."

"Understood, instructor," Cecilia agreed to the conditions, and then the full specification and information data was displayed in front of her. She quickly analyzed the information presented to her, and her intended outcome didn't seem too hopeful. "This has a special artillery designed for widespread target annihilation," she muttered, "And like my own IS, it seems that the Gospel is capable of all ranges of attack."

"Add to that insane maneuverability..." Rin thought, "...That'll be tricky."

Charlotte took one glance at the information screen. "This specialized weaponry looks rather suspicious, nes pa?" She said, "I think that continuous defense will be quite difficult."

Laura noticed something peculiar about the data, "The status of its hand-to-hand capability is unknown..." Then, she asked, "Can we do any preliminary recon?"

"I'm afraid that's impossible," Chifuyu answered, "The problem is that the Gospel is moving across the ocean at supersonic speeds, so we'll only have one chance to intercept it."

Maya heard that last bit and spoke up, "But if they're just gonna have one chance at it, then that means that only a unit with One-Shot Kill capabilities will have any chance of hitting it."

"One-shot..." Ichika sighed, "So, that means I have to go in?"

"That's right," Rin said, "You and the Byakushi's Reiraku Byakuya."

"It's the only shot we have of damaging the Gospel," Cecilia said, "But the problem is how to get him there."

"Oui," Charlotte agreed, "Success will depend on whether or not he can conserve his energy to be used in that one attack. So how will we get him there?"

"His IS doesn't have enough speed in the first place," Laura muttered, "so he'll need an ultra advanced hyper sensor...but we could lose valuable time even securing such an upgrade."

"Hang on...Wait a second," Ichika thought, "Isn't Houki's IS a 4th Generation model? Way over spec, or something?"

Houki flinched at the sound of her name, "Wha-I-...well..."

"Of course," Cecilia said, "You remember that brief test run, right? That could mean that you would be able to get him to the coordinates."

"But even so..." Rin thought, "...they both need to save up as much energy for the Reiraku Byakuya. And to that end, they can't get hit or waste any attacks."

Laura was listening to everything, but something still didn't add up. She had to ask, "Mentor, I would like to ask you something."

Chifuyu nodded, "Go ahead, Bodewig," without thinking about what could be asked.

Until Laura dropped the bombshell, "Was Lincoln Loud sent to intercept the IS first?"

Maya's ears twitched, "Eh-what?..."

Chifuyu, however, remained unfazed, "What would make you think that?"

"Well, for instance, I do not recall anyone having to sign any form of permission slip," Laura explained, "And Lincoln and his comrades spent extra time away from us and at the training grounds, which meant that they were preparing for something he would not tell anyone."

Chifuyu nodded, "Well, you're right about that..." but she tried again to alter the truth, "...Before the Gospel left the US, it made a pit stop at Royal Woods...one of its sewers was a cover for an IS manufacturing facility."

"Say what?!" Houki screamed.

"Where is this going?..." Charlotte asked.

"What we're trying to get at is..." Maya said, "...he was not on the trip, not because of a faulty permission slip, but because he was called to defend his hometown."

Most of the group was in disbelief, but Laura, Rin, and Cecilia witnessed his power firsthand, so they believed that he was a satisfactory choice. But Houki was appalled that she once again had to miss out on a crucial opportunity to prove her worth as a pilot, while Ichika questioned Chifuyu's decision to send a mere child to fight an adult. Laura was unable to call back to Clarissa in America. All she had to go on was the sudden glimpse of Mentor's phone, so she had to believe her.

Or she would have, if Tabane hadn't been so nosy, popping out from above the ceiling, "Hi, everybody!"

"Whoa!" Everyone jumped.

"Just put this operation on hold, ok?" Tabane said before flipping off onto the floor and running up to Chifuyu, "Chi-chan, Chi-chan!"

"Ugh..." Chifuyu groaned.

"I just had a brilliant idea on how to stop the Gospel, and now it's..." poke bunny ears "...printing, heheheh." Poke black hair "So, where's the printer?"

"Would you leave?..." Chifuyu groaned.

"Oh, just listen," Tabane shook her and made her declaration, "because it's definitely the Akatsubaki's time to shiiiiiiine!"

"And how..."

"Really?" Houki gasped, "What do you know about the Akatsubaki?"

Tabane giggled and took Chifuyu, Ichika, and Houki outside to the mountain cliffs, where she had Houki deploy the Akatsubaki before motioning with her hand, "Ok, Houki! Unfolding Armor, activate!"

At that command, several physical slots opened up on Houki's IS, on the wings and legs. Those slots materialized magenta plasma blades and turned the Akatsubaki into a bladed winged red demon machine.

"Unfolding Armor is now standard to all models 4th Generation and higher," Tabane said, "To put it in simple terms, the Akatsubaki is next evolutionary step of the Yukihira Niigata!"

Everyone gasped. That meant that, in a way, the Akatsubaki was in and of itself the Yukihira Niigata.

"That's right!" Tabane cheered herself on, "And I used Unfolding Armor for its entire body! Yahooo!"

Everyone blankly stared at her, as if they had already understood that...or saw it five seconds ago.

Tabane propped herself up and sighed, "Still, we have to deal with that..."

Back in the command center, Cecilia and Laura were already making plans for when things get hairy again. Charlotte and Rin were staring at the two.

"Um...not that we're not worried about you, but..." Rin said, "... what are you doing?"

"Aha," Laura spoke in her earpiece, "Ich bin in Kürze unten," and promptly left.

"Uh-hey!" Rin followed her out.

Charlotte was slightly dumbfounded, "Sacre bleu...what is happened with them..."

"I bet she's thinking the same thing I'm thinking," Cecilia said.

"And that would be?..."

"Preparing our personal units for combat in the event that Ichika and Houki fail. We just heard what happened to Lincoln and his team. Most likely, his sisters got involved with this as well, so we have to be on our toes here."

"I understand, but still-"

"Oh!" Cecilia stood up after receiving a notification, "I have to let Miss Orimura know!" And she left.

"Let her know what?" Charlotte chased after her, "Did you receive an upgrade package?"

"Something like that," Cecilia said as she ran out to find Chifuyu, "Now, if I was testing out a brand new IS, where would I do it?"

"Probably in a large clearing," Charlotte thought, "Though based on Houki's IS's color scheme, we just need to find a red blot, no?"

"That's...not...wrong..." Cecilia muttered while scanning her environment for any sign of a test run. She spotted a giant red IS in the cliffs nearby the main road, "There...Well, red red red!" She and Charlotte navigated their way into the mountainous clearing. When she saw that Chifuyu was within earshot, she decided to inform her of the news she received, "Miss Orimura?"

Chifuyu heard her from behind but was worn out by Tabane's childish antics, "Yeah, what?"

"Ma'am, I'm sure that I could achieve the objective in my Blue Tears," Cecilia said, "As you know, the Gunner Strike, my high maneuverability package, is on its way here now."

"And does that package operate on molecular exchange?"

"Well, no, not yet-"

Tabane scooted herself into the conversation, "By the by, I can finish adjustments to the Akatsubaki in less than seven minutes."

"So, that settles it," Chifuyu made up her mind, "The mission brief is: Orimura and Shinonono will engage the Gospel. She drives, he shoots." She turned to Ichika and Houki, "You're only gonna have one chance to blow that thing away. Are you up to the task?"

"Yes, ma'am," Ichika said, "I can go when the time comes." His conviction was shone through those words. He thought that this was his chance to succeed in a mission, to show his sister that he can hold his own.

Houki was feeling something else. It was a sense of joy...overpowering joy. A sense of finally belonging to the elite group, a sense of standing on equal footing with the people she constantly interacted with.

"Yes, ma'am," Houki said, "I'm ready."

"Good," Chifuyu nodded, "Then, we launch in 30 minutes. So, don't just stand there." She clapped her hands to signal the start of the preparation phase, "Get your asses moving!"

"While they're away, you need to get that package fully optimized and installed."

"We~~ell, this has a nice feeling to i~it," Tabane cooed.

"Huh?!" Houki was startled until she saw a pair of rabbit ears twitching to her right, "Oh...oh, yeah, it does."

"Come on, baby sister!" Tabane said, "You'll get nasty wrinkles where you don't want any of you keep up that troll frown!"

"I wonder why I got this face to begin with," Houki cowled.

"Oh, just let it go," Tabane wagged her hand, "I sent you a postcard, didn't I?"

"It was blank. And it wasn't even from Asia."

"Oh, yeah..." and then, Tabane did this, "...Well, it's the thought that counts. Now, let's finish those adjustments!"

Houki had to hold in her disgust. She thought of so many words to say to her chronically lackadaisical sister, but she had to focus on the upcoming mission. After all, the fact that this will be her first time fighting alongside Ichika as her only partner was enough to keep her troubles at bay.

But while she was preparing with Ichika to take the fight to the Gospel, Rin was busy helping Laura with preparations for when assistance would be needed...

"This is the big freaking gun you were waiting for?" ...by replacing Laura's big railgun with an even bigger railgun... "This seems like super overkill."

"It's supposed to enhance my railgun with powerful sniping capabilities," Laura said, "I can't do much by itself..."

"... but if it were lured into the sweet spot..." Rin cooed.

"Don't push it," Laura blushed when her mind decoded that message. She quickly regained her composure when she received an incoming transmission from Chifuyu, "Yes, Mentor?"

"Come back to the Command Room," Chifuyu said, "The mission is about to begin."

At the resort's outdoor recreation area, Houki and Ichika gathered together to prepare themselves for their biggest battle yet. The sun was shining brightly, the scene of the area was still lively, and the people here seemed to have no idea what was about to happen. Ichika and Houki looked around at the people that they were going to protect. They shared one more longing glance at each other before nodding the mission to begin.

Ichika grasped his bracelet and concentrated his energy, "Now! BYAKUSHIKI!"

Houki raised her wrist and signaled her new bell charm bracelets to assemble for battle. "Here we go," Houki said as she held her hand out, "Akatsubaki!"

In a brief flash of light, the resort goers stopped what they were doing and turned to the center of the court. They were in awe at what had emerged: a white knight and a red angel. They all cheered for their success, but Ichika and Houki didn't hear them. The two floated upward until they couldn't hear the people's voices anymore.

"Ok, Houki," Ichika smiled, "It's on."

Houki looked calmer than usual, "You know, I'd have never let a man go before me before this, but I think I can make an exception this time..." she returned his smile, "...especially since we're alone together."

"Let's worry about that after we complete our mission," Ichika reiterated, "We've got a crowd waiting for us after all."

"Yeah, you're right..." Houki almost forgot about that crowd below her.

"Listen, Houki," Ichika sensed that something was off about Houki, "This isn't a practice match, so we need to be extra careful."

Houki seemed a little amused by his concern for her, "You're not telling me anything I don't already know."

Ichika caught that slight expression of amusement.

"But, don't worry," Houki reassured him, "You can always count on me to get you where you need to go. So, just relax and let me do the driving."

But Ichika was not that relaxed, "You're feeling awfully confident despite this being your first time. Did a new attitude come with that IS?"

"Oh, no. I'm just the same as I've always been," Houki said, "But you know, you need to remember to stay calm out there."

Ichika thought the thrill of wielding an IS was getting to her head, but before he could respond in the like, Chifuyu contacted them both via open channel, "Orimura. Shinonono. Can you hear me?"

"Yes, ma'am," Ichika responded.

"The success of this mission is wholly dependent on completion of a one-shot kill," Chifuyu commed over, "so get in there and finish it as quickly as possible. Your target, the rouge unit, will now be referred to simply as "the Gospel" from now on. Is that clear?"

"Understood," they replied.

But Houki seemingly couldn't quell her own ego, so she made a request that was out-of-character for her, "Um, Miss Orimura? Should I continue to provide Ichika with tactical support as the situation calls for it?"

Chifuyu caught that hint of pride and gave her a warning, "Only if the situation calls for it. Remember, you have no battle experience in the Akatsubaki, and more over, it's a Gen4 prototype, so unexpected problems could arise. Don't push yourself too hard."

"Understood, ma'am," Houki seemingly disregarded a major portion of Chifuyu's warning, "But I'll do what I can to the best of my ability."

Chifuyu signaled to Maya, noting how the other pilots caught on to Houki's personality shift, "Open a private channel to Orimura."

Ichika was still wondering how Houki put on an alternate persona so quickly when Chifuyu's came through on his own IS: "Ichika, can you hear me?"

Ichika flinched, "Um..."

"There's something I need to tell you," Chifuyu said, "but it has to be where Shinonono can't hear our conversation, so play dumb."

Ichika nodded, then whispered, "Is it Houki?"

"Yes," Chifuyu said, "I think she's getting carried away. She's overly excited, and in that state of mind she could make a fatal mistake. Should anything happen, lend her your support."

"I'll keep that in mind," Ichika replied, "You can count on me, ma'am."

"Very well," Chifuyu placed her trust in her brother, nodding to Maya to disable private communication.

"Switching to main open channel," Maya reopened public connections, "Standby."

Cecilia, Rin, Laura, and Charlotte watched as Ichika and Houki prepared to take off. They started to worry more about Houki's mental state and whether or not she would get herself hurt, much less properly control an IS.

But Chifuyu has to put aside her worries, otherwise could lose the Gospel. She tapped her earpiece and gave the signal, "Commence Operation Gospel!"

Ichika grabbed onto Houki's shoulder. Houki felt his hand through the blue metal. His warmth started to energize her even more. "Ready?" She asked him.

Ichika nodded, "Always."

At that moment, the Akatsubaki's thrusters began to charge power. Just one second later, the Akatsubaki took off at a speed comparable to the Byakushiki's Ignition Boost. Two minutes later, it increased its speed to twice the magnitude.

Meanwhile, Lincoln was flying over the Pacific Ocean, barely able to keep himself at half his top speed. The entire flight, he tried to contact his friends in Japan, but he kept getting error messages.

"Dangit!...Why can't I contact them?!..." he panted due to exhaustion. This was the first time he experienced hours of continuous flight without sleep, and it took its tool on him, "I can't...need to rest..." He started to drift off and fall into sleep, into the ocean. The few he seconds he drifted off were bliss for him. Moments of the trip around town, with Lynn...

"!!" Lincoln was awakened by his lungs choking on water. He quickly broke the surface and had several clean gulps of air, "UGH...HUUHHH...HHH...What the..." He shook off the water works and resumed his flight, "Gotta stay focused...gotta get to Margo...before the others do..."

But it was already too late. Just as Lincoln regained his focus from the dunk in the water, Houki and Ichika have confirmed visual with the Gospel.

"Ichika! I see it!" Houki warned.

Ichika squinted his eyes until his vision adjusted, "Yeah, that's the Silverio Gospel, alright."

"I'm increasing speed!" Houki shouted, "Just ten seconds until we make contact!"

Houki eased her way to her maximum speed and steadied her body to allow Ichika to stand upright. He activated his Reiraku Byakuya and prepared his slash as they inched their way towards the Gospel. But when they were twenty feet away, the Gospel sensed their presence and changed flight direction.

"Keep going! Don't slow down, Houki!" Ichika shouted.

Houki stayed her gaze on the Gospel, closely following it through every twist and turn the Gospel performed.

Ichika kept his eyes open and saw that the Gospel was clearly outmatched in terms of raw speed. He gripped his sword and prepared to swing his blade the moment he was within striking distance. When Houki was close enough to reach the Gospel, he made his move, "HAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA-"

But it was a feint. The Gospel's AI had already processed the Akatsubaki's flight capabilities against its own, and concluded that the most optimal tactic was to use the Akatsubaki's speed against it. The Gospel slowed its speed on purpose to allow the Byakushiki the first strike; then, it simply sidestepped the sword swing and took off in the reverse direction.

"It dodged it!" Ichika exclaimed.

From then on, it was a dogfight. The Gospel flew in several complicated maneuvers, forcing Houki to put effort into keeping up with the Gospel. When she put too much effort in, she sped up too much and slipped off the Gospel's path, allowing it to gain extra distance and fire off a round of energy blasts. Ichika was forced to separate from Houki to avoid getting hit. The Gospel turned its attention to Houki, firing homing blasts to keep her on defense, while letting off several surprise shots at Ichika whenever he got too close.

Ichika backed away and restrategized, "Houki, listen! Let's try hitting it from the left and right at once! I'll take right, you take left!"

Houki nodded, "Understood-HUAGH!" before getting hit with another barrage of energy. She halted her IS and materialized her twin katanas before resuming her pursuit. They both had to push through the energy blasts to get anywhere near the Gospel, which kept changing its flight patterns to try to disorient Ichika and Houki. But they realized that the only way to hit the Gospel was to brute force their way through.

Houki slowed down, "Ichika, I'm going to try to cut off its movements!"

"Got it!" Ichika flew ahead of her to distract the Gospel with his sword.

Houki released her Unfolding Armor to boost her offenses, and sent out two blade bits to take on the Gospel. The Gospel sensed their speed and stopped its assault on the Byakushiki. It swatted away the two bits, but it took recoil damage after each one, giving the Houki the time frame she needed to charge in and slam her swords down. The Gospel quickly went on defense by catching the blades, but it left its backside completely open for attack.

"Ichika!" Houki shouted, "Engage now!"

"Roger!" Ichika initiated his Ignition Boost and lunged himself at the Gospel, "RRAAAAAAAAGH!"

The Gospel was able to shake Houki off with its energy balls, but it couldn't avoid the Reiraku Byakuya at all. Ichika got a solid hit in before getting punched away from the Gospel.

Lincoln had finally reached the Asian ocean border while the battle was underway, "Finally...I think I can-" His mind stopped short of seeing Houki and Ichika locked in a fierce midair battle with the Gospel. Next to a ship. "No, no, NO!" Lincoln woke right up, "WHAT ARE THEY DOING?!"

Ichika and Houki tried multiple times to take the Gospel out, but neither of them succeeded, so they had to pin their hopes on one final assault. Lincoln would've stepped in to stop the fight, but he doesn't know what kind of collateral damage he may incur if he prioritized the Gospel over the ship.

And the shipmen weren't too pleased to know that they've been caught in the crossfire, fending off numerous projectiles a waves with sheer luck.

"Son of a bitch!" One of them cursed, "These damn IS pinks are gonna get us killed!"

"We need to evacuate!" Another shouted.

"Are you crazy?! What about the profit margins?!" Right when the said that, Lincoln landed on the deck.

"Card Counter!" Lincoln called to the field his newest ally, who just so happened to be in the tower behind him.

"I thought I told you not to tag-out with me," Card Counter brushed him off in her usual monotone coldness, "I have very important work to do."

"More important than that?!" Lincoln pointed to the sky, which was raining down great green balls of fury.

"What are you yammering ab-" Card Counter stopped short of seeing the machine that was responsible for sending the balls downward. Her stoic facial expression suddenly turned to fear, "No...that's the-"

"Yeah, I know! Listen!" Lincoln grabbed Card Counter's hand and pointed to the ship's largest beacon, "We need a barrier big enough to encompass the ship!"

"Did the incomprehensible energy output disturb you in the slightest?!" Card Counter screamed.

"Yeah, but these guys's deaths will disturb me even more!"

"They're mere poachers!" Card Counter protested, "Lawbreakers! What value do they possibly possess?!"

"They're still human! They have lives too, you know!"

Card Counter sighed at Lincoln's annoyingly unwavering will, but she had in mind to notify the authorities while constructing a barrier. Two objectives could be accomplished. She accepted, and hopped onto his back, "Link me to the main connection tower!"

Meanwhile up in the sky, Houki had led the Gospel into another grapple, positioning the two at the optimal angle for Ichika to swoop in and strike, "Nngh...Ichika! Hit it again!"

"Here I come!" Ichika was about to trigger his Ignition Boost again, but something caught sight of his eye. Several of the energy blasts flew past him and hit the water below him, exploding near the poaching vessel, and two indistinguishable people barely holding up a thin barrier guarding it. He turned off his IB and blasted past Houki.

"Ichika?!" Houki exclaimed, to the advantage of the Gospel.

It blasted her off, and then blasted even more energy balls than usual right at Houki. She dodged most of them, but they went straight to Ichika, who had to stop to swat the energy balls away from the ship's range. And even then, he couldn't stop all of them. Some of them did find their way to the ship, hammering harshly at the makeshift barrier Lincoln created.

"What the hell are you doing?!" Houki screamed, "I need you back here with me!"

"Our intelligence was wrong!" Ichika responded, "The teachers didn't scan the water! There's a ship down there!"

"A ship?!" Houki wasn't aware of a ship anywhere near the battle zone. She linked her network to a local satellite and managed to get a visual of the unknown ship. She shared it with Ichika...and they saw a terribly weakened Lincoln holding up the barrier with someone resembling his second youngest sister. "Wha...what is he doing here?!" She screamed in disbelief, "And on a poaching vessel?!"

Lincoln was forced on his knees blocking the Gospel's attacks when he received a voice call from Ichika, "Lincoln?! What are you doing down there?!"

"Ngh...trying to guard these guys from getting energy splattered?!" Lincoln grunted before the Gospel sprayed even more energy across the ocean, forcing everyone on the defensive.

"They're just criminals! Forget about them!" Houki shouted while bobbing and weaving through the Gospel's attacks.

But Ichika stayed right where he was, "No! I can't turn my back on them!" He kept burning his energy trying to prevent the ship from getting wrecked.

Card Counter was having trouble maintaining the barrier's integrity due to the rocky nature of the water and the waning stamina from Lincoln. Luckily, her small gadget detected a faint radio frequency transmitted from the tower itself, "Ace, I've located a functional radio that's communicating to somewhere near Fuji-san!"

"Piggyback off that frequency!" Lincoln screamed, "Patch me to the IS Command Center!"

Just in time too, because Ichika's energy had decreased to the point where he couldn't use the Reiraku Byakuya or the Ignition Boost. Ichika was visibly disturbed with his Sabre's disappearance, but even more distressed whe he saw Lincoln fall to the ship's deck. He flinched for a split second because he was torn between taking on the Gospel and taking his friend to safety, but he was suddenly brought back to the fight when Houki shielded him from a surprise attack from the Gospel.

That caused her to lash out in over her head, "Idiots! You'd put protecting a bunch of lowlifes ahead of this?! Both of you need to leave right now-"

Ichika snapped, "HOUKIIIIIII!"

Houki gasped. She had never witnessed him shout at her so sternly. His conviction startled her so much that it unwittingly triggered a link to the IS subspace, where the two had a brief heart to heart.

"Please, Houki, don't talk like that," Ichika said softly, "Don't you remember what Chifuyu said about handling great power in the palm of your hands?"

She did...

_("You two need to be more careful with situations like this and not get in over your heads. Some time in the future you won't be able to turn back from a mistake you could make, whether or not you're the one who caused it.")_

That alone made her wonder exactly how she had been acting after she got her IS. Who was she to focus her entire being on the mission at hand, without thinking about what the exact scope was?

"That makes protecting people like them our responsibility, our duty," Ichika continued, "Not just by defeating rouge units, but by shielding people from their path of destruction. You can't just turn a blind eye to them."

Houki hadn't realized how far she had let go of herself until he said those words. She had never gotten her own personal unit until just a little while ago. And it got to her head.

But she didn't think about what would've happened until he said, "That's...really not like you at all."

Then, and only then had she finally realized the mistake she made, "But I was just...I...I was..." about to let 15 people die just for her 15 minutes of fame. At the very least, had she continued her assault, one person would be confirmed dead...a 12-year-old kid pilot who was still maintaining his consciousness on the ship below her, fighting his own body's limits to stand.

Houki was too shaken to continue. She let her hands loose, letting her swords fall to the ocean, and covered her face, unable to cope with the possibility she wrought upon herself.

And during that very brief moment of self loathing, a host of things happened.

Chifuyu and Maya were speechless. They had visuals of everything that just happened. They knew that Lincoln wasn't supposed to return until a week later, and they couldn't figure out why he came now.

The other pilots were just as stunned. The 3d map projection in the center of the room displayed the positions of all those who took part in the battle, including Lincoln.

"What is he doing here of all places?!" Charlotte asked.

No one knew. No one could make any sense of what the situation was.

Until his voice penetrate the room via pirate broadcast, "STOP THE ATTACK! CALL IT OFF NOW!"

"It's Loud!" Maya exclaimed, "He's piggybacking off our frequency!"

"What?!" Chifuyu and Laura were horrified.

Charlotte was about to question the message, "I thought he was-"

But they all stopped short of hearing a "MARGO'S TRAPPED INSIDE THE IS! HER MIND HAS BEEN HIJACKED! GOSPEL IS MANNED! REPEAT, **GOSPEL IS MANNED!**"

"Manned unit?!" Cecilia gasped.

"But we didn't pick up any human activity from the Gospel!" Maya exclaimed.

Then, the Gospel leapt high in the air and released enough energy balls to cover all of Royal Woods and focused them on Houki. Ichika was the first to react, jumping directly in front of the blast to shield her, taking the full brunt of the attack.

"ICHIKAAAAA!" Houki was beyond horrified. Her one and only childhood friend, the only person who stood up to the bullies in her younger years, has fallen, "NOOOOOOO!" She caught him in her arms, taking heavy damage from the Gospel's sudden attack. She too had fainted, and the two pilots were sent into free fall, out of a pair of massive explosions.

"Fatal damage sustained by both Akatsubaki and Byakushiki!" Card Counter shouted, "Imminent collision in fifteen seconds mark!"

"Reroute this boat to the mainland!" Lincoln ordered while running to the edge of the boat and jumping off. But it was here when he lost all stamina and blacked out. The last thing he saw was his hand reaching out before plunging into the water. His female counterpart had to hijack the Suite and rescue the falling pilots. But the Suite only had enough energy to slow their falls. It softened the Akatsubaki and Byakushiki's landing, but it still ended in a huge splash that veered the boat off course.

Back in the command center, the three blips of the three pilots had disappeared from the map.

"They're all down!" Maya alerted the entire room, "Loud, Orimura, and Shinonono are all down!"

None of the remaining pilots could stay still any longer.

"Get them back here now!" Rin shouted.

Everyone vacated the room and booked the nearest taxi they could find. Chifuyu took two medical crews into her rental van. They zipped past traffic and raced to the harbor where Card Counter was able to lifeboat the trio to safety before fizzling out of existence. Houki woke up just in time to see the aftermath of the mission. Lincoln and Ichika were placed on stretchers and given oxygen masks while the medics treated immediate injuries. Rin and Cecilia rushed to Ichika's side, while Charlotte and Laura stood by Lincoln. Houki was eased onto the van, where Maya had to encourage her to tell them what happened. But Chifuyu was shocked. She had witnessed her brother and her brother's brother fall in combat. Her only remaining family. Down. She wanted to show emotion for him, but her pride as a Brunhilde, and as an Orimura, wouldn't allow her. Not when there's other people watching them.

All she could do was rush them into the ambulances and ship them to the nearest hospital. As they left, she turned her face away from the others. She forgot about the other pilots' upgrade packages. Her mind was still rattled from Ichika's injury. The only thing she said to anyone that day was the last thing the other pilots expected to hear from their commander:

"THIS MISSION WAS A COMPLETE FAILURE! IF THERE ARE ANY CHANGES TO THE SITUATION, I WILL CONVENE A MEETING! BUT UNTIL I DO, CONSIDER YOURSELVES ALL ON STANDBY!"


	40. Get Ready to Step Up

Sunset over Mount Fuji's silhouette. Things could not be any more problematic for Chifuyu. She and Maya returned to the Fuji-san command center while the others, under her strict orders, remained beside Ichika and Lincoln at Watanabe Hospital. So many questions filled her mind. Why was a child trapped inside a rouge IS unit? And how would that affect her standing among the rest of the IS world? With the Academy? And with Ichika and his friends? And probably the most important and pervasive problem: how was she going to explain sending in a 12-year-old on a life-threatening mission? The higher-ups would most likely find an excuse to shove all responsibility on her. But Lincoln was most likely to butt in, saying that he knew the risks involved, and he willingly accepted the mission as a student and a pilot of the IS Academy. A statement like that could cause an uproar. All this while she was staring at the map, wondering what next move would be made.

"It looks like it stopped moving," Maya was just as worried. She couldn't contemplate the circumstances that led to Margo's captivity on the Gospel, "Do you suppose Headquarters would want us to continue the operation, ma'am?"

Chifuyu considered that, but knowing the mindset of the entire IS community, the end result would be the same, "Until we receive the order to stand down, we have no choice."

"But how?" Maya questioned, "There's a child inside. With what means do we have of extracting her, ma'am?"

Chifuyu didn't know. That was it. She had no answer to the problem at hand. What else was there, other than stopping the IS and killing Margo, and letting her live and allowing the IS to run rampant? She couldn't risk the life of someone that had no business in an IS...yet she had to. She gnawed her teeth in rage as she found herself unable to cope with the present situation.

Maya shared the same concerns as her superior. She thought it might have been a mistake to send Lincoln in, but she wondered what would've happened if she hadn't sent him to interrupt Margo's dealing with Phantom Task...or better yet, if she had dissuaded him from getting near that IS all those months ago. She tried to block out her worries by remaining her eyes on the monitor. At one point, her phone was ringing for Charlotte's number, but she quickly removed the battery.

"Uh-" Charlotte stuttered before giving up. She gave Cecilia her phone, "It's no use. She will not take any words."

"Oh my word..." Cecilia muttered, "...And here we are stuck in the cold chrome cells of a hospital, unable to do anything..."

Rin, Cecilia, Charlotte, and Laura were waiting at the lobby for any word on Lincoln or Ichika's condition, but so far, the doctors told them that there has been no change. Rin was flipping through the tv channels when she noticed a breaking news report about the most recent battle, "Oh no...guys?"

"Of all the rotten..." Cecilia exasperated.

"Vous plaisantez j'espère...Are they saying anything about us?..." Charlotte asked worriedly.

Thankfully, the news report was just on the battle itself. They thought the Gospel was unmanned.

"Well, first time fake news came to save our butts," Rin sighed.

"Can you imagine what'd happen if they found out?" Charlotte shuddered.

"More than that..." Cecilia pondered, "Now that we know, how are we going to free her?"

"I don't know..." Charlotte turned away. She had thought of a couple plans, but they involve whittling down the Gospel's energy little by little, ergo, causing harm to Margo's body.

Rin surfed the tv for another ten seconds before tossing the remote away, "We ain't gonna figure out a game plan just sitting here," she leapt off the couch, "We need to go straight to Miss Orimura and work this out. The longer we sit here, the more damage the Gospel will do."

"That won't be necessary..." Laura entered the living space and displayed an image of the Gospel's current location, "The Schwarzer Hase has found the Gospel 30 kilometers Southwest of the port, but the unit has been immobile for a few hours. All it did was generate an energy barrier."

"But it still has a hostage," Rin reiterated, "We need to go to Miss Orimura for help."

"She has ordered us to remain on standby," Laura said, "We cannot go against Mentor's orders."

"But..." Rin remembered the standard operating procedures very clearly, which caused her to be conflicted, "Ichika...he's her brother... and she just left him here..."

Laura has witnessed this emotion before, and placed her hand on Rin's shoulder, "I understand your concern. She did order his treatment, and she is his family."

"Then, why..."

"To protect his dignity, as well as hers. She is her brother, and seeing him in pain has a profound impact on her. I'm positive that the other instructors share that pain as well. That's why they left us here with him, because the pain is too intense for us to handle."

"Really?" Rin asked, "You think so?"

"Ja...I do."

"Ok..." Rin sighed, "That makes me feel a little better."

Laura looked to her left and saw Cecilia go outside to find Houki, and Charlotte depart for Ichika and Lincoln's room. "But a more pressing matter is..."

Rin looked behind her, "Oh..." She peered through the front door and saw Houki slumped over on a rocky bench under a shade tree, hair covering up her distraught face, "I'm gonna backup Cecilia."

Laura nodded and headed towards the ICU wing. There, she saw Charlotte sitting in the chair in between Ichika and Lincoln, her hands cupped as if she was in a prayer. Laura entered and walked to Charlotte's side. Then, she stared at Ichika and Lincoln's motionless bodies. "Have they not even twitched?"

"Not once..." Charlotte muttered.

"Do you have any idea how it happened?...How Houki and Ichika almost..."

"It couldn't be helped. The Gospel shut down Margo's mind."

"That's what worries me..." Charlotte looked up at the boys' serene faces, "What must she be thinking to allow the Gospel to invade her mind?"

"I don't know..." Laura muttered. Her eye was stuck on Lincoln, who looked like he was at peace with his fate... as if he had done all he could. "All I know is that it's not over."

They stared over at Ichika and Lincoln, who were going through very, very different mental walks.

"Say it's not over..." Charlotte said, "What do you suppose we do?"

Laura thought about her next courses of action, how she had already formulated three possible operations to safely disable the Gospel, or to end it...all of which required the most disrespectful action: disobeying the superior officer. But then, she thought about everything Lincoln did this semester, and how he didn't seem to care that there was a mountain he had to climb to survive the academy; he just did. He went in and planned everything on the fly, without any second thought.

Maybe that was the only way to win.

"Yes..." Laura muttered.

"What's wrong?" Charlotte asked.

Laura turned to Charlotte, "We must confront the Gospel. Right now, without approval."

"Que diable?!" Charlotte exclaimed, "Do you know what that means?!"

"I'm prepared for punishment," Laura flatly stated, "But this is only temporary, compared to allowing the Gospel to do as it pleases."

"I understand, but still...just rushing out there?!"

"If we wait for approval that might never come, the Gospel will have already done irreparable damage to the world. We cannot wait."

Charlotte stared into Laura's eyes. She had never seen such conviction from anywhere before. She became convinced that Laura had found a way to complete the operation, however questionable. "Okay..." she gave in, "...but we still have a problem with the pilot..."

"Keine Bange," Laura said, "I have a plan."

Meanwhile, Houki was wallowing in her actions and potential consequences of the mission. Just the vivid replay of Ichika sacrificing himself for her was enough to rattle her mind, but then she saw him with one little boy defending an unidentifiable ship. And their previous exchange over the morality of duty over lives brought back...

_("No! I can't turn my back on them!")_

_("Idiots! You'd put protecting those lowlifes over this?!")_

_("Don't talk like that. That's not the Houki I know. You can't turn a blind eye to them.")_

_("You do realize...that that would've been **it **for you, right?")_

Houki shook her head in denial. She couldn't fathom what exactly would allow Ichika or Lincoln to stall their missions for a poaching vessel. She hasn't turned a blind eye at all. She knew. Her Akatsubaki came equipped with a wide-area scanner that detected the boat seconds after she saw the Gospel. She chose to continue the battle, using the poachers as collateral. Maybe it was a way of getting silent revenge against those who wronged her, by sending a signal. Or maybe her emotional trauma caused her to lash out.

Or maybe Ichika and Lincoln were lucky enough to have people who taught them the value of human life, even for criminals.

"What am I even doing in this jumpsuit?..." Houki murmured.

Suddenly, that familiar British voice: "You can't be thinking of desertion, right?"

"Not now, Cecilia..." Houki didn't look up.

Cecilia looked back at the open-door lobby. "You know, we may have had a major setback, but that doesn't mean we've given up."

"I said not now," Houki became slightly agitated.

"If not now, when?"

"I don't know!" Houki shouted.

Cecilia sighed, "...This is why it can't wait. All this emotional baggage inside, and what good has bottling it up done? There's something inside you that has to get off your chest this instant."

Houki sat silent. She knew what Cecilia was talking about, but she didn't have the words to express what was on her mind.

"We're not sure of what just happened, but we know we have to figure out how to comeback from this," Cecilia said, "Moping around won't get you anywhere. We need you to come back to-"

"No you don't."

Cecilia stopped talking, "...Huh?"

"You don't need me."

"Excuse me?!" Cecilia jolted.

Houki ran off into the city streets in tears.

"Hey! Houki!" Cecilia tried to chase after her, but the traffic light changed before she could reach the crosswalk. The incoming cars prevented her from moving forward. "Houki!" She shouted, then turned away, "Ugh, what is it with that woman?"

"Bad day," Rin appeared behind her, "Really bad day."

Cecilia raised an eyebrow, "There's time to nag her about the vessel later! Why can't she put that aside?!"

Rin simply shrugged. Then, she stared at the street that connected the sea to the hospital. She peered through the sunset's glimmer and saw Houki already at the end. "I'll go after her," Rin said.

Houki kept running away from the hospital. She made a hard turn left at the three way intersection into a river bordered by soft green grass. She ran her breath out, and even then, she didn't stop. She tried to run away from her mistake, but her mind wouldn't let go. Every step she took, she was reminded of two events from her past. One of them, when she was much younger, happened in elementary school...

(At school, Houki was actively avoided due to her default facial expression. A group of boys took notice and doubled down on her issue, calling it a condition, and making a false rumor about how she's actually a boy cross dressing as a girl. She constantly turned to her teachers and counselors for help, but they always told her to stand up to those rumors. Problem was: whenever she did, the bullies were right along with her, ready to start up even more rumors and gossip. Gossip that went unnoticed until one day, when she was cleaning up the classroom with a younger Ichika.

Then, the bullies stepped in the room.

"Hey, tomboy!" One of them taunted, "Why don't you show us what you're really like?"

"How come you don't have your wooden sword with you, Huh?" Another joined in.

Ichika stopped mopping the floor and confronted them, "You know, you guys really shouldn't goof off. Either help clean up, or leave."

"What's your problem, Orimura?" One of the bullies piped, "You mean, you like this tomboy?"

"Eww, that's gross!" Another chimed in, "Do you even know what she's like?"

"Did you see them this morning?" And then the bullies started to act like Ichika and Houki weren't even there, "They were acting all lovey-dovey and stuff!"

As the bullies kept laughing, Houki got more irritated by the second, but she couldn't do anything because it was three against her. Ichika, on the other hand, grew tired of the taunting and decided to approach the bullies to end their attacks.

"He even gave her a ribbon! That's not gonna help the cross dressing!"

"How dumb is that?! A tomboy with a freaking ribbon! What a laugh!" SMACK! "Ugh-"

That was when Ichika landed a punch square in the bully's jaw, knocking him out. He quickly grabbed his broom and prepped for a potential fight with the other two bullies. And fight they did.

"What's your problem, man-" SMACK! "OOF!"

"Hey, ease up-" BONK "-AGH!"

It didn't last very long. Ichika struck them down with the Full Force technique.

Right when the home room teacher came in to check on them, "What's with all the ruckus?!"

"Sensei," one of the bullies groaned, "Orimura beat us down...we just wanted to play with Shinonono, and...and he just hit us-"

The teacher put his hand up to silence him, "Lemme guess...he hit you after you wouldn't stop calling Shinonono a man dressing up as a woman."

"What?!" The other billy protested, "We never said that!"

"I could hear you from the other side of the wall you're so loud!" The teacher shouted loud enough to wake up the person Ichika had just knocked down.

"Ugh...my head-" the bully barely had any time to breathe, as he was pulled up to standing position by his collar, "Agh! What are you-"

"The three of you with me," the teacher said, "Now."

After the incident, Ichika and Houki retreated to the Shinonono dojo to try to forget about the stress they just endured. After the kendo session, they freshened up outside. Houki was still dwelling on the fact that Ichika came to her rescue, even causing the bullies to receive punishment. Something she was sure the other students would take notice of.

"You're an idiot, you know that?" She spouted out.

"Huh? How so?" Ichika looked at her.

"Don't you understand that doing something like that could cause problems later on?"

"I don't think about stuff like that at all. I just beat down the bad guys," he joked, "Nothing to it."

"Oh..." she sighed, thinking about the many possible stories that the bullies could spin to try to mitigate the punishment.

He noticed her downtrodden face and said, "Hey, don't worry about those losers. That ribbon you were wearing looked good on you. I think you should wear it again."

"Well, forget it," she snapped, "I won't take any orders from anyone."

That confirmed to Ichika she was in a much better mood. He decided to take his leave, "Well, I'll be going now. See you, Shinonono."

Houki jolted. She didn't want to admit it, but she was grateful for him to stand up to those bullies and wanted some way to thank him. But her mind wasn't given enough time to come up with something to say, so she ended up with, "Wait!"

"Hm?" Ichika stopped and turned around with curious eyes."

"Just so you know, I have a first name," Houki said, "It's Houki. Everyone at the dojo is a Shinonono, too, so it gets...confusing. So, just call me by my first name, ok?"

"Sure," Ichika nodded, and then returned the favor, "Ichika."

"Huh?"

"That's my first name, since there's another Orimura, too. So, just call me Ichika.")

"WAA-" SLAM! "OGH-AaAaAaAaAaAaAaAaAaAa-" SPLASH!

Houki ended up tripping over a rock, and rolling downhill across the grass, and into the river. She couldn't stand the idea of a version of herself that was more aware of consequences of actions than she was now. She was already startled by an Ichika coming to her defense twice in her lifetime, both of which had an enormous impact on her life, but she never expected to come across another flashback, this time to a recent moment during the first half of the semester.

It was actually a moment of serenity and serendipity. During the autumn festival, she was supposed to be a ringer to pull Rin away from Ichika. Instead, she was dragged into the parade, becoming the festival's banner girl. She could see it all that time. The smiling, cheering faces, the eclectic chants and songs, the sparks of the welcoming autumn...

...and the jovial expressions of Ichika, Rin, and Lincoln. All there just to have a good time. Until she ruined it all by mindlessly blurting our the location of the squirrel boy. Counting that incident, that makes two times that she betrayed Ichika's trust.

Houki clawed out of the water and rolled onto the grassy riverbank, "GUH!...HHH...*ACK*ACK*Haaahhhhhh...hhh..." Slowly, her panting turned to sobbing. She covered her face in an attempt to hide her shame, but nothing could hide her mistakes. She just then knew that all people start out weak, but some grow strong enough to protect them. It didn't matter what their past or present was. That's what it meant to be a hero. Leaving nothing to chance, and leaving no one to their fates. That was what she experienced when she rescued Cecilia those years ago, and sadly, that was what she had neglected. Three times.

"I can't go on..." Houki sobbed, "I'm finished as a pilot..."

"The hell you are."

Houki didn't respond to the sound of Rin's voice.

Rin walked over to Houki and sat down beside her. She looked down at Houki, who didn't seem to mind her being there. Rin looked up at the sunset, "Paaaathetic...assuming that everything was your fault, and then turning tail and hiding from the rest of the party... that is so predictable."

Houki didn't even flinch. She just kept her arms covering her face.

"What?" Rin taunted, "You're not gonna Rin your mouth like usual?"

Houki didn't seem to hear her.

Rin couldn't tell what Houki was going through, aside from the mission surprises, so she employed the only stratagem she knew to get an instant motivation boost.

"Enjoying your little self-pity party, are you?" Rin had to get her angry, "Well, too bad, 'cuz it's over." She latched onto Houki's collar and dragged her body to sitting upright. "Now, listen up. There's plenty of time to dwell on the past, but it ain't now. Right now, we've got a job to do and a life to save. Stop sulking and get back to work."

Rin peeked over at the Houki she dragged up. The head was still tilted over, the arms had gone limp, and the face was still stuck in mourning.

"Hey!" Rin shouted, "Stop being a spoiled brat! You don't have time to play these games, not when you just got your own personal unit!"

Again, no reaction. Rin thought for a moment on how to trigger some kind of fire within Houki...and then, it hit her. She let go of Houki and stood up. "You know what, you're right. We don't need you," she taunted, "not when you're all in in your gloomy mind trying to spread your dirty sorrow to us."

Houki said and did nothing.

Then, Rin pulled out her trigger, "Not like Ichika would have appreciated your gloominess."

That was it. Houki's ears twitched. She couldn't believe what she just heard. She immediately got angry, "Shut up."

"Oh, what now?" Rin prepared herself to get slapped, "Feel like pooping your emotions all over us-"

SMACK!

And get slapped, she did. Houki swatted her across the jaw and felled her hard.

"SHUT UP!" Houki screamed, "WHAT THE HELL DO YOU KNOW ABOUT ME?! NOTHING! WHAT THE HELL DO YOU KNOW ABOUT THE MISSION?! NOTHING!"

Rin couldn't resist a smile as she steadied herself upright, "And you're not gonna tell me? Or maybe you just wanna keep me in the dark so you can have all the sympathy to yourself!"

SMACK!

Houki slapped Rin again, "STOP TALKING LIKE YOU'RE ALL HIGH AND MIGHTY! THAT'S ALWAYS BEEN YOUR PROBLEM!"

"Guess you're right..." Rin grunted, "I may act all high and mighty..." she stumbled a bit before standing up once again, "...but at least I'm acting...UNLIKE YOU, YA BLUE-FACED SLOTH!"

"HRRAAAAAAGH!" Houki smacked Rin for a third time, only to get a hard slap in return. They both fell to the grass, panting and covered in dirt. Houki struggled to hold back her tears.

But Rin just kept talking, "You think you're all hot stuff...after getting that shiny new IS...Were you that eager to show off your new kicks?!" She stood up moments before Houki did, "What do you think we did when we got our IS?!"

"What's your point?!" Houki screamed, "What did you have to do?!"

"Make mistakes, for one thing! And then, learn! You think you can just sweep a W under the first rung?!"

"Well, whaddaya want me to do?! It's not like we can find the Gospel again!"

"One mistake, and that it?! That's your excuse to turn tail and run?!"

"I'm not running! I'm just-"

"Just what?! Just playing these games with yourself?! When Ichika's down and out?!"

Ichika...down. That's the reason Houki was in this sudden slump. She was already done when he fell, but bringing back the notion that he was down also gave her a sort of revelation. With him gone, and the only Gen 4 model being in her possession, she was literally the only person able to lead the charge against the Gospel and prevent it from hurting anyone else. She already screwed up once, and already she was given another chance. But...

"So what if there's another person trapped inside?!" Rin said, "The other girls are already figuring out how to get her out! I came here to ask for your help!" Then, she turned around, "But I can see you're doing just fine on your own."

"Wait!" Houki instinctively shouted. She didn't know what to say. She just didn't want to get left behind again. So far, everyone else has taken the initiative, but she was unable to do anything for the longest time, "I...I just..."

Rin stopped walking and turned her head. "So, are you going to get up?" Rin asked, "Or are you just a pathetic coward who can't fight when it really counts for something?"

Houki looked down, staring down all the times she risked her own life and the lives of others in one second. "What choice do I have?..." she muttered, "I've been staring down a reckless hole, and I've always been the one to follow...but, now I am able to lead...and I will bounce back." She looked Rin square in the eye with fierce determination, "So, yes. I am going to get back up. And I am going to fight!"

"Uh, why?"

"Because..." Houki needed a moment. Then, she said, "...because I wanna fight, too. I want to fight for something, too. I can't stand by and watch you take on the enemy all by yourself. I want to be with everyone when we fight for and save her!"

Rin couldn't fully comprehend Houki's semi-hackneyed response, but she understood the general idea. She nodded and pointed to right, "Then, come aboard."

Houki immediately turned to her right and saw something that warmed her heart a little: a motor boat that was captained by Hana and passengered by Cecilia, Charlotte, and Laura.

"All aboard!" Hana shouted.

"What are you all doing here?!" Houki asked.

"The same thing you're doing right now," Charlotte answered, "We all feel the same way about this."

"We can't end this incident with us losing, can we?" Cecilia said.

Houki brightened up. For once in her life, she felt like she was part of a team, one that actually had her back. "Ok...let's go." She and Rin climbed aboard and settled in beside the engine.

"Looks like that's everyone," Hana said. She revved up the engine, and then the group was off riding towards the ocean, "So, where to?"

"Here," Laura displayed a holographic monitor showing an image of the Gospel's location, "The Black Hare Corps was able to pinpoint its position via satellite, approximately 30 kilometers from our current location. The unit is currently in Stealth Mode, but the Corps has confirmed it does not have optical camouflage capabilities."

"That's the German Special Forces for you," Rin winked, "Those girls kick ass."

"So, in other words," Hana said, "We're going to land when we're able to just barely see the Gospel."

"Ja," Laura nodded, "I have prepared my Schwarzer Regen with a sniper package. What is the status of the rest of the group?"

"My Shenlong's offensive enhancement package has been installed," Rin have a thumbs up.

"Preparations are complete on my end as well," Charlotte said.

"And my Blue Tears is finely tuned for this enemy," Cecilia added, "We're ready for combat."

"So, we're going to fight that thing by ourselves?" Houki asked, eyes widened.

"Of course," Rin said, "No offense to Miss Orimura, but we are not gonna just sit there twiddling our thumbs while the higher ups try to figure out somethingamajig."

"That's right," Hana said, "This river connects Fuji-san to the ocean, so I grabbed a boat after I overhead the plan to free Margo."

"Free her?" Houki didn't follow until she remembered what happened just after the tail end of her first fight, "Wait-you mean-"

"We're going to whittle down the Gospel's energy until it can't sustain its barrier," Cecilia said, "Then, one of us will move in and extract the hostage while the rest of us provide cover."

"But which of us will engage, and which of us will extract?" Charlotte wondered, "The Gospel won't just stand idly by."

"Lincoln would've had a chance to do it, but he's incapacitated," Laura mused, "My wires might have a chance of getting her out..."

"Let's just worry about containing the Gospel, ok?" Hana suggested.

"Right," Cecilia thought, "Let's take it one step at a time, shall we?"

"One step?" Rin taunted, "I'm going ten steps ahead of you!"

Cecilia saw Houki maintaining her default expression and pretended to groan, "Rin, do you honestly expect me to damage my flawless hair with your antics?"

Houki reacted to Cecilia's inburst, "Hair?! This is the biggest fight of our lives! How can you be worried about your hair?!"

"Because how do people usually look when they hit the dirt?"

That sparked a humorous argument between the two.

"Wow," Rin whispered, "I cannot believe that worked."

"And so, two identical souls formed a strong bond," Charlotte said wistfully.

"It takes a pain in the ass to handle one," Rin bragged.

Laura had just heard another phrase she had never heard anyone else say, "Pain in whose ass?"

Rin wasn't thinking when she responded, "Ichika's."

"AAAAAGH!" Charlotte flinched, "WHHHYYYYY?!"

"Oh, god!" Hana momentarily lost control of the boat, "Bad images in my brain!"

Laura had no idea what they were talking about. All she heard was four hooligans trying to mentally prepare themselves for the mission, "Looks like we're adequately prepared..." if she could call it that.

"Oh, lighten up," Rin nudged, "How's about I learn you about girl talk?"

Laura spent the boat ride wishing she was inside Fuji-san.

Once the boat left the river and entered the ocean, Hana turned off the engine and let it coast away from the mainland. "I see it," she pointed at a blue-greenish ball off in the distance, "It's not moving...just protecting itself."

"A literal Divinity Barrier..." Rin sighed, "Great..."

"Not to worry," Laura jumped off the boat and deployed her Schwarzer Regen just before she hit the surface, "I have equipped a Panzer sniper package. It should destroy the barrier in one shot."

Cecilia took note of the IS's gigantic rail cannon, and the two stabilizing prongs protruding from the back, "And how do you plan on maneuvering with all that junk?"

"The same as you and your drones," Laura said, "I can dematerialize them."

"Alright, people! Enough chatter!" Rin jumped off and deployed.

"Quite right..." Cecilia took her time to deploy one piece of her IS at a time, "And now for the-" BONK! "-AAA-" SPLASH!

"You're taking too long," Houki pushed her aside and deployed fully.

"GUH-HHH..." Cecilia emerged after Houki flew upward, "DO YOU MIND?!"

"Come on," Charlotte had already deployed when Cecilia splashed down and helped her out of the water, "We don't have time to play these games."

"Tell that to the Queen of Risks over there!" Cecilia finished deploying and pointed her rifle at Houki.

"Ok, people!" Rin clapped her scimitars, "Let's get with the program!"

Houki floated on top of the surface, "I'll take the charge forward since the Akatsubaki's limited on long-range options."

"So, you're gonna be in its face the whole time?" Rin said, "That means you can see Margo's physical state the whole time."

"Yeah..." Houki nodded, slightly shaken about her previous brush with endangering human lives, "...I'll back off whenever I see her reacting to our attacks. But I'll need you to back me up if the Gospel tries to go long-range."

"Oh," Rin at first was put off by the words 'back' and 'up', but she suddenly put an idea together that even the Akatsubaki had its limitations that the Shenlong could overcome, "Ohhhhhhhhhhhhh..."

Charlotte steadied Cecilia midair, "Rin and I will stay within midrange. Can you control the field with your drones?"

"I shall try my best," Cecilia nodded, "Just stay clear of them, as we might have a friendly fire situation."

Laura finished training her IS on the small pack of concrete available to her. She steadied her gaze on the Gospel, wondering how she was going to end this fight without any casualties. Her entire military career was nothing but extractions and surveillance. This was her first rescue mission, and it was one of her friend's friends. She wasn't sure if she would be able to see it through.

Hana noticed that sleight of hesitation, "Are you ok?"

"A bit," Laura said, "I have a clear visual of the Gospel...it's in a fetal position, almost as if it, and its pilot, are suffering."

"Well...in a way, it is..." Hana agreed, "but isn't it why you're finishing this mission?"

"Not really. All of my past missions had me neutralize hostile threats. This is vastly different."

"You've got a plan, and you can watch from far away," Hana looked at the other pilots psyching themselves up, "Maybe you can move between long, mid, and close ranges when things are getting too crazy?"

"I might try that," Laura nodded, "and I trust you will be here when the fight is done?"

"You can count on me, Commander!" Hana saluted her.

Laura chuckled, "Haha, alright...Go back to the hospital. Ichika and Lincoln need someone to be there for them."

"Understood," Hana turned the boat around and rode back inland.

Laura calmed her mind and refocused her IS. Then, she declared mission start, "Everyone in position!"

The others heard and took their places above her, Houki out in front, Rin and Charlotte above her, and Cecilia in the back with Laura.

"We're all ready," Rin said.

"We'll go on your mark," Cecilia said while preparing her drones.

Laura took one deep breath and aimed.

Back in the command center, Chifuyu just ended a very scathing phone call, in that she was the one scathing the higher ups about their lack of initiative, "WELL, YOU CAN FORGET ABOUT MY BRUNHILDE ENDORSEMENT PARTNERSHIP THINGAMAJIG, 'CUZ I'M GONNA SAVE THAT KID RIGHT NOW, WHETHER YOU LIKE IT OR NOT!" She threw her phone on the ground and smashed it.

"Miss Orimura?!" Maya yelped.

"They're asking me to come out of retirement and take out the Gospel," Chifuyu growled, "and they want me to use Margo as collateral."

"What?!" Maya screamed, "What are they planning?!"

"I've got some ideas..." Chifuyu sighed, "...One of them is how to safely remove the girl from the cockpit."

Maya heard that phrase before, and the idea that Chifuyu spoke of, minutes ago, and she was extremely skeptical, "But you can't call that safe, can you?!"

"No, but it's literally the only thing I can think of," Chifuyu said, "Open a secure channel to the others. I need to see what they think-"

"That won't be possible, ma'am!" One of the staff pointed at her screen, "We have IS activity off the Suruga Bay!"

Laura pulled the trigger on her railgun and let loose a Mach Two energy bullet straight at the Gospel. The bullet flew across the bay and slammed into the Gospel, destroying its barrier and causing it damage. Laura saw the puff of smoke engulfing the IS completely. "First shot is a direct hit!" She said, "Go now!"

Houki unsheathed her twin katanas, "Follow my lead! Stay in formation!"

The Gospel dispelled the smoke with one flap of its wings. Its eyes glowed, and wings began to charge an enormous energy reserve. Houki didn't pay any mind to it; she simply charged ahead and launched several energy waves at it, making it dodge them and land right at Houki's weapons. The Gospel quickly fired off a round of energy balls right at Houki, only to be blindsided by a shot from Rin's Ryuhou shotgun cannons

Chifuyu and Maya were appalled by what they just saw.

"Ma'am!" Maya exasperated, "That's-!"

"I saw," Chifuyu said.

"But that against orders!" Maya said, "We have to call them back!"

Chifuyu didn't acknowledge that. After all, she saw the location of the Gospel and the five IS student pilots. She also saw that the pilots were arranged in a certain formation throughout that brief exchange, and surmised that they were enacting the same plan she thought of. It was the only viable plan, with Ichika and Lincoln out of commission, "I had a feeling it would come to this..."


	41. My Name Is

Back in the hospital, Ichika and Lincoln were sound asleep. Their bodies remained still, but their consciousnesses were moved to their respective IS subspaces. There, they were having different epiphanies about everything they've experienced this semester.

For Ichika, his epiphany started in an ankle-deep reflection lake. He was staring at the clear blue sky, wondering just how he got to this point. As soon as the water tickled his ears, he slowly stood himself up, "Ngh...Uh...where am I?..." He surveyed the surrounding area. There was barely anything here, just a few rocks, a barren tree...and a young woman. Dressed in white, holding a large fancy hat to conceal her face. She was staring at the sky longingly, as if to listen for something calling to her.

"Weird..." Ichika thought, "I've never seen her before, but I feel like I know her..." He slowly approached her.

But at that moment, the young woman brushed her hair back. "Can you hear them?..." she said, "They're calling..."

Ichika looked up to the sky. He saw nothing but clouds and blue. There was no sound coming through, just the pitter-patter of the water. He wondered what, or who, was calling out to him.

Little did he know that it was all five of his friends. They just weren't physically calling him, as they were trying to pin down the Gospel.

Houki was trying to engage the Gospel, but it kept squirming away and going after Rin, who kept it at bay with her twin blades. There were two occasions where when it was about to launch an energy attack, Rin charged her cannons. When the Gospel released its blasts, Houki timed her katana's energy shockwaves with the Gospel; she swung her blades the instant the Gospel fired, and interrupted its attack, giving Rin the advantage she needed to pelt the IS. The second time it was hit, the Gospel changed tactics and flew off, forcing Rin and Charlotte to give chase. The Gospel flew across the sky trying to shake Rin and Charlotte off, but they were ready to keep it at bay. They chased the Gospel, continuing to fire off several rounds at a time until it saw Laura standing by herself on a small island. It charged at her while avoiding Rin and Charlotte's shots.

"It's faster than the data let on!" Laura said as she and Cecilia's drones tried to veer the Gospel off course. But all their shots were dodged.

"I'm recalling my drones!" Cecilia said, "Let it come to you!"

"Understood!" Laura detached the rail cannon and prepared to defend herself with it.

A half second before the Gospel collided with Laura, Cecilia was able to knock her rifle on its head. That caused its to slam right into Laura's cannon, which in turn fired and hit the Gospel square in the chest. It was flung backwards in the water, but its energy blasts were released. Cecilia managed to avoid most of them, but Laura stayed still and blocked almost all of them.

"Switching to standard settings!" Laura said while reverting her IS to its default 1st Shift armaments, "What is everyone's status?!"

Charlotte saw Cecilia engaged in bullet-to-bullet combat, trading energy blasts for energy shots with no hits between any of them. "I've got it!" Charlotte called out her twin shotguns and fired on the Gospel, but it quickly dodged and fired its energy blasts on Charlotte, forcing her to manifest her shield against it.

"Moving in!" Rin boarded her new mobility board and honed in on the Gospel at twice her top speed, while she and Cecilia continued their shots on the rouge IS. It wasn't until Rin got in a hit that the Gospel decided then to unleash an energy blast at the least mobile pilot, namely Cecilia. It followed her and kept firing, forcing Cecilia on the defensive.

Charlotte deployed her shield and rushed to Cecilia's side, while Houki and Laura moved in to distract the Gospel, ironically doing just what it wanted them to do, as it was able to outmaneuver them and fire off a round of energy blasts at point blank range.

Cecilia was able to escape the scuffle and release her drones. From there, she was able to read its movements and decipher its overall strategy. "It's been playing us!" She shouted as she saw the Gospel destroy one of her drones by dodging Houki's sword waves.

Charlotte fired her shotguns at the Gospel, but the Gospel avoided all her shots and flew past her. The Gospel avoided all of Cecilia's rifle shots and slammed into her. Charlotte rushed to Cecilia's defense and barely managed to fend off the Gospel, "At this rate, we'll never shoot it down!"

Back in the hospital, Lincoln was having a mental trip of sorts. He was on a cliff, staring at the ocean being illuminated by a strangely shaded sunset, a sunset that glittered with every single color known to man. That could only mean one thing...

Lincoln made it. He has made it to the one place where he could drop his emotional baggage and never look back. He's at the ends of existence, aka the Unseen Horizon. He should be happy...yet, he wasn't.

"I made it..." he whispered, "I finally made it..."

"You can't," someone sat beside him, "at least not yet."

"Hm?" Lincoln looked behind him, "Oh...you."

"'Oh, you.'? Really?" The lookalike girl was slightly revolted, "That's all you gotta say to me? After I saved your ass, like, three times now?"

"Well...no, but..."

"You know, your manners are all over the place," the girl sat down beside him, "One day, you're telling me flowery compliments, and then the next day, you're gonna give me the bird."

"What gave you that idea?"

"Things..." the girl drifted off into the glimmering horizon, "Please tell me you weren't thinking about dumping your baggage here..."

"I was..." Lincoln nodded.

"After you promised to use it to make you stronger?!"

"Well, things change. All too often."

"Doesn't mean you have to!...Does it?"

"Man, I don't know anymore..." Lincoln sat silent, staring at the still sun, wondering if he could own up to his own personal promises.

Meanwhile, the Gospel took the fight to the Pacific Ocean. The girls had been lured far away for any help to arrive from the mainland, but that didn't stop them from chasing them. It circled around them, trying to whittle them down with its energy balls. But at one point, the pilots grouped together and launched their long range attacks simultaneously, in a widespread assault that the Gospel could not dodge. The pilots reassumed formation, but their assault did not stop until Houki was able to slam her katanas on its shoulders.

"I got her!" Houki screamed, "I need back up-Ugh?!"

The Gospel grabbed hold of her swords and got into a power struggle, lifting them high into the sky.

Laura immediately guess that the Gospel planned to finish Houki off and warned her, "Houki! Release your Unfolding Armor now!"

"Houki!" Cecilia and Charlotte shouted.

"No!" Rin rushed to Houki's defense when she saw the Gospel getting ready to charge another energy blast.

But Houki reacted quickly, releasing an energy blade from her feet, flipping herself over, and slamming her feet down. She chopped off both wings of the Gospel, causing it to lose flight and fall to the ocean.

The other pilots gathered around the splash zone.

"Nice one!" Rin cheered.

"No," Cecilia said, "That was just the wing units. It'll get back up soon."

"Then, we must prepare for extraction," Charlotte thought.

Laura noticed that Houki hadn't moved a muscle since her strike. "Are you all right, Shinonono?"

Houki felt somewhat vindicated, partly because she was able to participate in a mission with zero casualties, but mainly because she had struck down the rouge IS that struck down Ichika. She didn't look up when she answered, "Yeah...I'm just fine."

Back in IS subspace, Ichika was suddenly in a sunset version of the reflection lake. All the trees and boulders were removed. He couldn't discern what was happening to him, but he felt urged to walk forward. His feet treaded the water very lightly for what seemed like forever. During the trek, he felt the wind in his hair. That wind contained a slight breeze that made a strange ephemeral sound...the sound of his name. He looked straight on ahead, as if someone was calling out to him. He finally stopped when he saw a silhouette.

It looked like the silhouette of a pilot of a mechanical Valkyrie, with a large prominent sword. Ichika wondered why he was brought to her. He maintained his gaze at the strange pilot, trying to find the right words to say to her.

But she spoke first, "Ichika, do you desire power?"

Right when she asked that, the Gospel let out a deafening cry. It released a violent aura from within the ocean and kicked up a massive hurricane. It surrounded itself in a giant green barrier and sprouted angelic wings of pure, concentrated energy.

The pilots could feel themselves being pulled into the giant hurricane.

"What's happening?!" Houki struggled to maintain her balance.

"Is that what you call 'getting back up'?!" Rin quipped.

"Get back, everyone!" Laura bellowed, "It's shifted into secondary form!"

The Gospel let out a powerful laser that everyone dodged, but it broke its barrier and released a sharp wave of energy that no one could dodge.

Laura mounted her rail cannon, "Houki, Rin, Charlotte!"

"Gotcha!" Houki shouted, "You two with me on the frontline! Cecilia and Laura bring up the rear guard!" Right when the Gospel escaped and slammed its wings right into Houki and shot its energy blasts at Charlotte and Rin.

"Boy, this escalated quickly!" Rin griped.

Back in IS subspace, Lincoln was mulling over what this entire semester amounted to.

"So, what is your plan now?" The girl asked.

"Well...I can't just drop everything..." Lincoln thought, "...not when there's a crisis of epic proportions looming over the world."

"The world, Huh?...What about the world?"

"It's where my friends reside..." Lincoln said before he had a sudden epiphany, "Huh...It's where my friends reside."

"Uh, stop saying that?" The girl seemed creeped out.

"But I'm dead serious," Lincoln said, "It is where my friends reside. But my friends are right here in front of me... and we all became friends for a reason. Everything happens for a reason."

"O...k..." the girl scooted back a bit, "And what be-ith thy reason for creeps?"

Elsewhere, Ichika took a moment to collect his thoughts and form them into a coherent answer to the pilot's question.

"Ichika," the mysterious pilot asked again, "do you desire power?"

Ichika nodded.

"Why do you desire power?"

"To protect my friends..." Ichika answered, "...my comrades."

"Your comrades?" The pilot seemed puzzled at his choice of words.

But Ichika remained resolute, "Yes..."

"Why do you desire to protect your comrades?"

Ichika took a deep breath. Then, he answered, "I've reflected over the past semester, and I've come to realize something..."

"This world is consumed with so much irrational violence and hardships," Lincoln ended up monologuing, "Everyone, my friends...we all came together because something horrible happened to us..."

"We came together because of something that came as a result of the world lashing out at random people," Ichika said.

"There's so much you have to fight against in this world," Lincoln droned on, "And there's so much you can't rely on. And I wanna help them find that little bit that you can rely on."

"I want to aid my comrades in that fight, to help them, to be with them. And...to walk with them," Ichika said, "That's what I need the power for."

"Yes...I see," the pilot said to Ichika in return.

"I don't quite understand," the girl chuckled, "but it sounds like your mind's made up."

"That, it is," Lincoln nodded, "which is why I can't linger here any longer."

"Yes," the young woman said, "you have to go."

Ichika was back in the daytime reflection lake, listening to the same young woman he saw earlier.

"It's like fate," she said while taking his hand, "You forge your own path your heart, walk your path with conviction, and never stray from it."

"Fate..." Lincoln muttered, "...you know, you might have a point..."

The girl sat down beside Lincoln, "So, what now? You going back out there?"

Lincoln stared out into the glistening night sky. The many colors glittering in the ocean seemed to entrance him in a serene state of mind, "I think I'll hang here a little bit."

The girl leaned her head against his shoulder, "Alright, Romeo. You do your thing," and then twirled the VR gear set in her hand, "I'll do mine."

The woman released Ichika's hand, "So, what will you do?"

"I have to help them," Ichika said and turned to walk away.

"It is up to you now," the woman responded.

Ichika nodded. After a flash of light, he back in the real world. He was sitting up in the hospital bed. "Whoa..." he muttered, "What did I just..." He turned to his left, "Lincoln? Hey? Lincoln?"

Lincoln was standing by the window, fully deployed in the Suite with his face completely covered by the helmet.

Ichika started to wonder, "Uh, are you still in there? It looks like someone else is taking over..."

The Suite remained motionless.

Just then, their door was forced open by Hana, "Orimura! Loud! Emergency!"

"Hey, Hana," Ichika said, "What's the big deal?"

"No time to explain-oh..." she stopped when she saw 'Lincoln' was awake, "Hello, there."

The Suite simply turned and left the room.

"Hey, where are you going?!" Hana grabbed both their hands, "We have an emergency!" She dragged them outside and showed them the tiny light show in the distance, "That's the Gospel!"

"Huh?!" Ichika gasped, "Oh, no! What are they doing?!"

"They're gonna chip away at its shield until it can't hold it anymore," Hana said, "Then, they're going to extract the captive."

The Suite looked at the Gospel fighting with all its might to keep the other pilots at bay. It clenched its fists, trying to control itself.

But Ichika remained calm, "I see...a risky plan, but with a slight chance of success."

"Huh..." Hana breathed, "How are they going to get her out?..."

"Think about it," Ichika said, "If Margo's trapped in the Gospel, then destroying it would sever their link. The same with Laura and her IS when it went berserk."

"But...but Laura had that giant armored robot," Hana worried, "The Gospel is just like any other IS, with really thin cockpit protection."

"All the more reason why you have to get out there now," Ichika pressed, "I can't imagine what kind of pain that girl's in. But there is a chance we can get her out."

"Yeah, but..." Hana was about to say something when they heard a giant explosion shake the surrounding area, "What in the world was that?!"

"Over there!" Ichika pointed to the ocean, where the Gospel had just encapsulated Cecilia witching its wings and seemingly crushed her shield energy.

"Oh, my..." Hana panicked before seeing the Gospel fire off a laser three times bigger than the one Margo used against Lincoln, "What did that thing see in Margo to pull off something like that?..."

"Definitely something traumatic..." Ichika said, "We have to get over there and stop it," before looking at a boat in the river, "What's that thing doing there?"

"It's how I've been able to sneak the others out of the resort without being caught," Hana grabbed their hands, "Come on, we don't have time to lose!" and shoved them on her boat.

Houki and Laura had gone after the Gospel after Cecilia had crashed on an island. They traded places taking long range and CQC as they saw fit, but it wasn't long before the Gospel overwhelmed them by firing a mega laser right at the mainland. Charlotte blocked the laser by herself, and Houki moved in to attack, but the Gospel rotated the laser right in Houki's direction and hit her square on.

"Charlotte, take mid-range!" Laura shouted, "Rin, with me on the frontline!"

"Boom-bam, baby!" Rin screamed as she kept firing her cannons on the Gospel.

The Gospel kept dodging the bullets and kept blocking Laura's attacks, until one of its punches found its way to Laura's head. Laura reacted by unconsciously launching the AIC on the Gospel, giving Rin and Charlotte time to surround it and lower its shield energy. But it broke the AIC easily by overloading its wings and releasing a massive aura, right before releasing a massive barrage of energy blasts that all hit the pilots head on. But they held on to their grit and kept fighting, finding a way to break through the shield.

But Cecilia and Houki were out cold. They both had visions of the lives prior to the semester. That one brief moment in time where they spent one full day with their parents...absolute bliss. Immediately followed by confusion, anger, despair, and everything in between when their lives were upended by a disaster that forced them into the world of the Infinite Stratos. And they had no one to rely on but themselves.

Now, here they were, being forced to relive the same, uncomfortable coldness of it all.

"I feel alone..." Cecilia thought, "Mama...Papa...where did you go..."

"I miss them..." Houki thought, "I miss them so much..."

Just when they were about to sink into the abyss of their minds, they felt someone reaching out for their hands and pulling them upward, rapidly out of the darkness and into the light.

Though Houki felt it literally, "GUH...HHH...HHH...hhh...hhh...Wha...what...happened..."

"Easy, Houki...take it easy..."

"Huh?...AH?!..." Houki looked over her shoulder.

It was Ichika. Ichika pulled her out of the water.

"Wh...what are you..." Houki couldn't talk. She was too busy gasping for air to pick herself up.

"Hey, I got you, I got you," Ichika carried her to the nearest rock formation and set her down. Then, she massaged her sternum and rubbed her head to calm her down and relax her breathing. The same way her aunt used to calm her down.

"It's...I... really..." Houki was completely lost for words.

"It's ok, really," Ichika said, "My wounds are all healed up. I can fight too," he waved his hands and accidentally called out his IS's new shield, "Uh-I mean..." he instantly put it back, "...yeah..."

"Your IS?!" Houki gasped, "It's different!"

"Oh..." Ichika nodded, "Well, I had a dream, and then...this happened..." His HUD projected several information screens, one of which told them everything they needed to know:

BYAKUSHIKI: UPGRADE COMPLETE

2ND SHIFT: SETSURA

INCREASED MOBILITY WITH 4 ADDITIONAL ATMOSPHERIC PRESSURE THRUSTERS

INCREASED DEFENSIVE CAPABILITIES

PARTICLE BEAM CANNON AND ENERGY CLAW SHARED WITH REIRAKU BYAKUYA; SEPARATE PLASMA SHIELD ATTACHMENT ON LEFT ARM

"It's...wow... I..." Houki stuttered.

Ichika looked at her hair, "To be honest, you look cuter with your hair down. But I didn't wanna skip out on the holiday season, so..." He handed her a white box wrapped in a red bow tie.

"Wha...what... is..." Houki trembled as her hand slowly reached for the box. She was trembling so much that she knocked off the box, spilling the lone content inside, "Aw...aww..." What she saw made her spill tears: a red-and-white ribbon made of mulberry silk. She clutched it in her hand, "It's beautiful..." She was instantly reminded of her fifth birthday, how she received her first ribbon from Tabane in similar fashion.

"You stay here and recover," Ichika stood up and faced the Gospel, "I'm gonna do what I can," and then he took off into the night.

Meanwhile while, Cecilia woke up to see Lincoln kneeling down beside her, "Mmm...Lincoln?...What are you..."

The Suite did nothing. It simply knelt there, smoking from the recent blasts it took head on.

"What happened to you?..." she sat up, "You look hurt..."

The Suite shook its head and cupped its hand around hers.

"What are you...HUH?!" Cecilia saw her IS glow a brilliant golden light. And all of a sudden, her shield energy shot up, "What is this?!"

Back in IS sub space, the girl muttered, "Oh, that's just the energy I got from when I saw how the Gospel was about to encapsulate Black Bunny Hop within its wings and how I kicked her out of the way so he could take the hit so that I could super charge the Bad Beat Call, which we really do need to rename, and all that massive damage just so happened to have dropped me right beside you."

But Cecilia was able to read into the Suite's newest ability and was taken aback, "I... I don't-"

"Lincoln!" Ichika shouted, "I need backup!"

The Suite stood up and flew off into the fight.

Cecilia stared in awe as Ichika fired off several shots from his left hand right to the Gospel's helmet when it was about to release its laser on Rin. It released on him, but he was able to completely block it with his Setsura shield. The Suite snuck a few cards behind its wings and guarded against its energy blasts.

Cecilia turned to Houki, who had already dried her eyes and donned her new ribbon. "Houki," she said, "You know what we have to do, right?"

"Yeah," Houki steadied her resolve, "I'm going to fight for everyone. Ichika, Lincoln, the captive pilot...I'm even gonna fight for you. I'm gonna fight with everyone."

"Oh, I'm touched," Cecilia said, "I think that ribbon might've fitted your hair and cleared your head."

"Fashionable as always, aren't you?" Houki quipped.

"Not as fashionable as..." Cecilia was caught staring at Houki's glowing green aura, "...your...IS..."

"What's this?" Houki questioned until her IS popped up several screens showing an overcharge in morale and recovery. One screen in particular revealed what she had done:

POWER SYNC 100% — KENRAN BUTOU ONLINE

Houki gasped, "This is the Akatsubaki's special ability!" As her shield energy was charged to full capacity, "Oh my..."

"I hate to interrupt your momentous discovery of newfound powers," Cecilia said while concentrating her drones at the Gospel, "but don't we have a job to do at the present?!"

"Uh-right..." Houki sheepishly grinned and took off after the Gospel.

Meanwhile, Lincoln and the Suite were fighting against the Gospel as one knight, with the Suite acting as Ichika's shield to conserve energy needed for the Reiraku Byakuya. They flew all over the skies trying to land a solid hit on the Gospel, but no matter what they did, it always found a way to push them out of range. Several times, Ichika's sword strikes were avoided or blocked, and almost every time the Suite attempted to intervene, the Gospel dodged outright.

Laura stayed out of CQC range and acted the sniper, with Charlotte and Cecilia opting for midrange combat, and Rin and Houki joining Ichika and the Suite. But even with their best efforts combined, they could not subdue the Gospel at all. It continued to keep the pilots in check with its energy balls and its agility, using the Byakushiki and Akatsubaki's speed against them.

"Did you get it?!" Houki shouted.

"I see a clear shot!" Laura responded. She fired several powerful shots that nearly hit the Gospel.

But one of Cecilia's drones was able to land a hit, causing the Gospel to react by firing a mega laser in her direction. Charlotte, the Suite, and Ichika combined their shields into a mega barrier to deflect the laser, while Rin and Houki tried to capitalize on the opening. But it was useless, as the Gospel instantly converted its laser into a crushing energy aura wave that hit everyone.

"Ugh..." Ichika winced, "Everybody alright..." He said as his shield energy dropped below 5%.

"Not really..." Rin groaned.

"Dangit..." Charlotte griped, "It'll take a miracle to get her out!"

The Gospel flew up into the sky and prepared to fire off a round of explosive blasts. Houki rushed to Ichika's side to start the Kenran Butou, but she wasn't going to make it in time. That's when a hidden projectile flew in at supersonic speed and clocked the Gospel square in the head, causing it to misfire and send its blasts away from the pilots' direction.

"What was that?!" Cecilia asked, "Did anyone see what it was?!"

"That's a..." Rin mulled, "...a dumbbell..."

The Gospel turned around and flew in the direction that dumbbell came from, only to be met with a noisy guitar riff that short-circuited its wings. It tried to fire off a laser, but its wings were fizzled long enough for it to get hit with two rockets and an exploding pole arm.

The entire group then heard what sounded like a female rockstar's voice, "DID I HEAR SOMEBODY ASKED FOR A MIRACLE!"

"I think that was..." Cecilia twitched.

Rin brightened up, "Suit...Night...Akina! Kim!"

Akina and Kim had flown over on their ISs to aid the pilots in the rescue operation, and the moment they crossed into Japanese airspace, Strong Suit and Night Club had materialized.

"Zap zap!" Akina shouted as she continued to pelt the Gospel with bullets and rockets. When she saw the Gospel flying away from her, she tagged out, "It's all you, Kimmie!"

"Don't call me that!" Kim said as she flew ahead and reclaimed her pole arm. She met the Gospel and tried to grapple it, but it easily pushed her back and wrapped her in its wings. Night Club nullified its crushing attack with another tune, allowing Kim to escape with minimal damage and stage a counter attack, but the Gospel escaped.

Strong Suit hitched a ride on Akina, and the two joined with the rest of the party, "Wassup, my main peeps!"

"Whoa..." Ichika gasped.

"What are you all doing here?!" Charlotte asked.

"We got permission to assist all of you," Akina said.

"What?!" Rin exclaimed, "From who?!"

Akina pointed to the river where the party came from. There, by the entry point, was a boat, with Hana and High Card.

"Yes, I'm with Hana right now," High Card commed to the resort, "The live feed is now online." She tapped an app on her phone, and suddenly the first-person viewpoints of every pilot participating in the battle were streamed directly to the command center.

"Why's everyone here?!" Cecilia panicked, "Why're you here?! How did you get those ISs?!"

Strong Suit leaped off Akina and settled on one of Cecilia's wing units, "Because if the one thing that connects us all...Pain."

Kim opened her communication channel while pursuing the Gospel, "The pain of losing something near and dear to you..."

Night Club let out a sound cannon, "...and the pain of filling the void with what's in front of you..."

Charlotte understood what they meant, "...that's what connects all of us."

"Yep," Akina nodded, "We all endured something that tore our hearts in half. We're all here to mend the broken pieces."

"Oh, I gotcha," Ichika suddenly said, "We know what hurts us the most. We don't know how to comfort ourselves, but we can comfort each other."

Laura and The Suite looked up at the Gospel. "And right now," Laura said, "someone is in need of a major comfort."

"He's right," Houki took his hand, "and through that..." her IS started to glow again, "...we can win."

"Huh? Houki, what are you-" Ichika felt a comforting warmth envelop him, and in turn, he saw his energy restored, "My energy..."

"A return gift from me to you," Houki smiled, "Now, go and finish this mission!"

"Right," Ichika nodded. He turned to face the Gospel, which was floating high above them among the rising sun and letting out a battle cry. He pointed his sword at the sun and declared, "Our target is the person held captive inside the Gospel. Hit it with everything you got. When it's down, everyone gather round and extract the hostage. Are we clear?"

Everyone gave their approving acknowledgement.

"Then, let's go!" Ichika sounded off, and all 11 party members raced towards the Gospel.

"You hear that, Margo?!" Strong Suit shouted while commandeering one of Cecilia's drones, "We got the pieces to your heart right here! How's about letting your emotional walls down for a quick second and finishing up that puzzle of yours!"

The Gospel simply rose high above the sun and rained down its wrath upon the party.

"Well, we are here for you when it hurts the most, whether you like it or not!" Charlotte flew ahead with Night Club, and defended the entire group with his shield amplified by Night Club's tunes. The group spit up and covered various sections of the battlefield, ready to engage whenever needed.

"I hope you're screeching for a preaching," Night Club grinned wickedly, "'cuz this Fukuin will hit you like a sledgehammer!" She then played a haunting, cathedral-esque melody that somehow affected the pilots' wiring, basically giving them temporary solar energy recharge.

The Gospel caught on to that tactic and charged at Night Club, releasing a controlled energy barrage at her. The Suite successfully blocked the attack, while Houki struck it with her katanas' beam strikes. The Gospel tried to focus on Night Club, but Cecilia's drones and Strong Suit's dumbbells prevented it from getting a clear target, so it opted for an underwater strike instead. Houki chased after it, dipping under the surface to try and stop its attack. It was only after it emerged from the surface that Kim was able to halt its assault with a head shot. The Gospel immediately fired a laser at Kim, who was barely able to avoid the attack after recalling her weapon. Houki the engaged the Gospel in a clash spreading all over the ocean. Charlotte provided support from her gunfire, but even with that, the two could not get a solid grapple on the Gospel. Charlotte had to step in and pin it down with her pile bunker, but it caught her attack with one arm, and it caught both Houki's katanas with one wing.

Houki knew what that meant. She tried to maneuver her way out with Charlotte's Ignition Boost, but the Gospel maintained a strong grip on them both.

"Oh no you don't!" Ichika charged ahead full throttle, but the Gospel blasted Charlotte and Houki before engaging Ichika in a brief fight. He had to back off after it released a widespread homing barrage, "Laura! Cecilia!"

"Fire!" Laura and Cecilia shouted as they fired their snipers at the Gospel from the island, but their shots were completely avoided. The Gospel returned a laser that exploded the land between them, causing them to be rocketed into the ocean.

Strong Suit, Rin, and Akina blasted the Gospel from behind while it fired the laser, earning its ire and a powerful aura that knocked Strong Suit off the drone. The Suite launched an entire deck of cards at it while catching Strong Suit, and Ichika and Kim charged it one more time. But the Gospel repelled them all and tripled its energy output, launching a massive amount of energy blasts that honed in on every single person. Everyone tried to dodge the blasts, but they were almost all caught up in the crossfire. The Gospel launched one more laser right after, this time targeting the Suite who was the only person to dodge all of its blasts.

"I'm in position!" the girl shouted, "Whoever's available, move in now!"

The Suite ended up taking the blast head on, its wing shield being the only thing protecting him as it was skidded across the water right into an abandoned pier.

"Oh my!" Cecilia knew what that meant, "Everyone to the Gospel! Now!"

"We're coming!" Night Club and Laura said after shrugging off a blast to her back.

"On my way!" Akina shouted.

"Hurry!" Houki said, "We can't hold on much longer!"

The Gospel detected their movements and charged up another energy laser. But just as it was about to fire, Ichika activated all of his thrusters and flung himself at the Gospel, which was trapped immobile within the moment of firing.

"You won't get away this time!" Ichika screamed while readying an energy claw.

The Gospel aimed at Ichika, but a sudden combined shot from Cecilia's sniper, Laura's railcannon, and Kim's pole arm disoriented it.

"We're right here, you monster!" They said.

The Gospel was running out of time to release its blast, so it kept its target on Ichika, but one of Houki's ramming bits and Rin's cannon shots hit it directly, causing it to misfire above Ichika. Charlotte saw this opening and released her pole bunker again, joining with Ichika's claw. The two drove their hands right into the Gospel's stomach.

Ichika and Charlotte put their Ignition Boosts to the highest possible settings, so when their hits connected, they set off a massive explosion that dissipated the laser. There was so much force in the hits that they pushed the Gospel across the water, and slammed it right into the mainland, in same pier where the Suite crashed. Night Club stopped the music and signaled all party members to meet at the pier.

Charlotte missed her footing and rolled into a brick wall. But Ichika kept his sword firm on the Gospel's chest, locking the two in a power struggle. He grunted as he poured all his strength into his sword. The Gospel kept it at bay with just its hand. It slowly reached out its other hand to grab at Ichika's neck. Ichika braced himself for the worst.

But it caught the Suite's hand instead. It gripped it so hard, it felt like it was trying to cling onto any last bit of life it could possible have left. For a brief moment, the two ISs understood why it would do this, but only because of the pilot inside. It bounced off of her emotions and turned it into raw power.

The Suite had to free the pilot somehow. And the extra power it received from the laser was exactly how it was going to break her out. The extra power was going back into the Gospel, but only restoring its energy at the same rate the Reiraku Byakuya was taking it away. The net energy was zero, and its current energy was bordering between 1% and zero. It couldn't maintain its shielding any longer. It wanted out.

As soon as the Gospel's grip began to weaken, the Suite pulled hard. The captive pilot was slowly yanked out of the cockpit. Ichika's sword drove in deeper, reaching into the Gospel's insides, weakening its hold on Margo and allowing the Suite to pull the captive out with barely a scratch. Only after Margo was freed did the sword finally crush the Gospel's core, bringing its energy to zero and defeating it once and for all.

The wings disappeared. The Silverio Gospel was no more.

Ichika collapsed when his sword reverted to its physical form. He panted heavily.

Houki flew to his side and knelt down, "Ichika?"

"HHH...yeah...hhh...it's over..." Ichika breathed.

The Suite nodded.

The other pilots gathered round the Gospel. They saw its former pilot, Margo, seemingly in a sleep state of mind. She was out cold, but she didn't have any major injuries done to her. Lincoln and Charlotte lost their ISs, while the others were on the verge.

Ichika turned around to the other pilots, who looked just as relieved that they got Margo out safely. Kim shared a wink with Cecilia and Laura. Akina fist bumped with Rin and Houki. Strong Suit and Night Club gave Hana and High card a thumbs up. Ichika waved at Charlotte, signaling the end of the struggle.

But inside IS sub space, Lincoln saw everything. He was still coming to grips with the fact that it took crippling his sister, scarring the lives of his family and his supposed girlfriend's family, and endangering a friend's life just to bring this matter to a fitting conclusion. All of it...

..all of it resulted from keeping the past a secret. Lincoln no longer has a choice.

He has to tell.


	42. OUTRO: Clear Your Mind (Part 1)

The sunrise over the summit of Fuji-san. The warmth of the morning mist enveloping the landscape, calling the entirety of Japan to rise up once more. For most people, this would be the time of day where their hope is at its highest level, overly optimistic about the numerous possibilities toward the future. But for Ichika and his friends, it wasn't a time for celebration, or relief. It was a time of uncertainty and unnerving events. There was no way the people of Japan could've missed the spectacle that was the Battle of the Gospel; with loud noises, flashing lights, and a destroyed port that turned out to be a historic site...how were they going to hide the truth from the public? How were they to answer? Would they even answer, given that they failed to contain the Gospel to absolute privacy, having exposed the general public to the hidden dangers of the IS. Details of their battle have been sent to the IS Academy, and the staff raced to his location. The entire group was automatically transported back to the Academy, and all their ISs were swiftly locked up in the repair room.

While Margo was placed in the infirmary, the rest of the party was heavily questioned that day. Ichika was first up, then Houki, and then to Cecilia, Rin, and Charlotte. Their combined questioning amounted to more than two hours.

Lincoln, Akina, Kim, Hana, and Laura awaited their turn outside the main administrative building, for once nervous. There were no words for a good ten minutes.

Then, Akina said, "So...what's the worst that could happen?"

"I could think of a few things..." Lincoln said.

"Ichika was the first to be questioned," Laura said, "The fact that he had not yet returned is very troubling."

"Does that mean jail time for us?..." Hana asked nervously.

"Possibly," Laura nodded, "This was supposed to be a secret operation."

"And the fact that we decided to tell Hana..." Kim looked down, "Expulsion might be the least of our worries..."

Lincoln shook his head, "I'd write a paper about what I did wrong _and _endure some grueling training as punishment rather than...this."

The others didn't say a word, but they shared his sentiment.

Laura turned to Hana, "Do you know why one of his allies was with you?"

"GULP" Hana turned pale, "...because...Miss Orimura ordered it..."

"What?!" Lincoln, Kim, and Akina shouted.

"After I escorted the others to the battle, she immediately called me over because I was one of the closest to you guys," Hana explained, "She already knew that I knew about the mission and..."

_("Why would Lincoln fail himself hours after I gave him the warning?")_

_("I'm not sure, ma'am. All I know is that they were aware of what could've happened.")_

_("Ok, fine...but I still don't know how the other managed to block and prevent all communication, so you're gonna have to re-establish connection somehow.")_

_("Yes, ma'am.")_

_("Afterwards, a team of instructors will rush everyone back to the Academy for questioning. The instant that's done, you bring him to me.")_

"Oh my lord..." Lincoln nearly fainted.

"Welp," Akina sighed, "It's been an honor to work with y'all."

"Hang on. It's not the end, yet," Kim tried to reassure everyone, "We just need to explain ourselves, and maybe they'll give us a more lenient punishment."

"Maybe..." Laura repeated, "But either way, it will be the end, yes?"

"I don't wanna think about it right now..." Hana wailed, right before an instructor opened the door.

"Lincoln Loud?" The instructor called, "Please follow me."

"Uh-oh..." Akina and Hana whispered.

Lincoln sighed and got off the grass. He shuffled his hands inside his pockets as he made his way into the building. As he followed the instructor, his mind began to play the connections game, trying to link the entire mission and its outcome with everything that's happened to him so far. But no matter what lines he drew, nothing made sense to him. He still came back to that story about Margo being jealous of Lynn and Lincoln, and when he tried to link it to the story about the brother and the blonde bully...the backstory fell apart. I'm his mind, the interrogation would include Margo's past, but what would he say in response? What piece was he missing to tie this convoluted puzzle together?

The instructor led him into the teachers' lounge and gave him a chair to sit on, "Wait here."

Lincoln nodded and took his seat as the instructor grabbed a clipboard and a voice recorder. He immediately saw a stuffed bunny on the table that eerily resembled his, "Bun-Bun?"

"Oh, that..." the instructor said, "It was given to me fifteen years ago. I still groom it every now and then."

"O-oh..."

"Now then," the instructor activated the recorder, "Why don't we start with your name and age?"

"Uh, yes...Lincoln Loud, 12 years old. First year student."

"Good," the instructor scratched her clipboard, "This interview is to determine the appropriate consequences of the Operation Save the Lakes and Woods. You are encouraged to answer truthfully, as anything you do and don't say will be taken into consideration."

"Understood."

"Alright, let's start with the main question...We tracked your IS signature all the way from Royal Wood, Michigan, to here. Why did you fly across the ocean?"

Lincoln took a moment to close his eyes and steel his soul. This was his one chance to tell them everything that happened through his unfiltered eyes, the one chance to stop hiding the past. His family kept it hidden under the pretense that it would protect him, when in reality it did the opposite. When he opened his eyes, he let it all out, "It was because the Silverio Gospe had run amok while Margo Roberts, my sister's best friend, was piloting inside. And because it ran amok, her mind shut down."

"Would you care to elaborate on how Margo came into contact with the Gospel in the first place?"

"Well... it ain't gonna be a short story."

"We have time."

"Ok. Then...it's a lot of reasons. But they all led to Margo coming into contact with Phantom Task, and them setting up this whole scheme of stealing the Gospel and shoving it in Margo's face."

"I am aware of the scheme. What I am not aware of is why her. Why was it Miss Roberts of all people?"

"Probably because of her past. Phantom Task saw how messed up it was and played on her emotions, manipulated her into taking the Gospel."

"What happened in her past to warrant such a harsh fight? The battle ended up involving your sister, as well as your hometown and several casualties."

"The fight...yeah..." Lincoln reassured himself that this was necessary to fix his future. That was his reasoning for saying the beloved, "Lori Marie Loud."

"I beg your pardon?"

"Lori...my eldest sister...She sent Margo on the irreversible path of self destruction," Lincoln already figured out that he can see into the past of any nearby pilot and told the instructor everything he saw, from Lori's encounter with Kenneth, to that fateful moment. During his narrative, he was finally able to connect the fight against Margo with the fight against Kenneth: Margo was in severe distress, and possibly denial, about her brother turning the fist against Lincoln and Lynn, so she decided to use sports as a sort of bridge between her ideal life and the real world. But that bridge was shattered the moment Lynn tapped into her inner athlete and became the star player of Royal Woods, and it became irreparable when Lincoln became the world's youngest pilot. Those events spurred Margo into latching onto the most accessible thing to keep her from losing herself, AKA siding with Phantom Task. All this, Lincoln told the instructor, "And that's how I think it happened."

"Unbelievable..." the instructor was winded, "All of this because of your family..."

"Yeah. Lori started it, Luna and Lynn restarted it, and nobody told me anything. They wanted to protect me fron the dark side of life... and look what happened."

"Going back to the end of the mission, Miss Orimura instructed you and your team to allow no one to find out. And yet, you could not contain the fight to a private space. Even before then, I was told that you told one of your friends about the mission, and that one of your classmates discovered and leaked the information out to all those with personal IS units."

"I just had to tell someone. Hana, I could trust, but Laura...I don't know how Laura found out. And yes, Margo was very angry. She really went all out, and she wanted everybody to know."

"Do you know how much damage she caused?"

"Um...a lot? Probably more than I can comprehend."

"So, from my understanding, Margo came into contact with Phantom Task some time after the semester began. So, she must have been planning this for months at least."

"I guess... I didn't get the full details about her whole plan, but I know she had friends that helped her with taking out my family in Great Lakes City."

"Funny you mention that...Margo enlisted Hank, Hawk, Janice, and Juniper to deal with the Louds and the Casagrandes."

"What?!" Lincoln yelped, "Those thugs?!"

"You weren't aware of their involvement?"

"No...no, I wasn't...Why would they..."

"Their interests probably coincided with Phantom Task's, so Margo recruited them to further their plan."

"But...they were going to kill them?!"

"Yes, because it wasn't just Lynn. All your sisters showed compatibility with maneuvering an IS."

"Oh, great," Lincoln threw his hands away, immediately knowing what that meant, "I have two targets the size of Jupiter on my back and my forehead."

The instructor didn't expand on that point. She just stood up, "Well, I believe we have everything we need. Please, wait in the room behind you until we finish questioning with the others." She then led Lincoln to a separate room.

"Others?" He asked. Then, he saw a door swing open, revealing a sort-of conference room, with a couch, a giant TV, and several pilots sitting round the table, "Ichika? Guys?"

"Hiya, Inc Linc," Rin waved.

"It has been a long while," Charlotte said.

"Why did they bring you here?" Lincoln asked.

"Probably because we have to explain ourselves to Miss Orimura," Charlotte guessed, "I assume she didn't want anyone to know about your secret mission, but..." She grabbed the remote and tuned in to an American news channel, which boasted-

["Breaking news tonight, disaster at Royal Woods. Lincoln Loud, the youngest pilot in the world, has been involved in an IS battle that's costing Michigan close to a billion dollars in damages. The person he was fighting has not yet been identified, but sources are telling us that there are bystanders who know who was piloting the Silverio Gospel~~~"]

The newscast was played for five whole minutes before Charlotte turned off the TV.

"Oh my god..." Cecilia muttered, "I know what this means..."

"What?" Houki asked, "What does this all mean?"

"It means he can't return home," Cecilia said, "at all."

"My membership to the Loud House has been, by mine own hands..." Lincoln slowly collapsed to the floor, "...revoked." He landed under the table, burying his head in his knees.

"So, what now?" Ichika asked, "I doubt we'll be commended for this."

"I think we'll have to stand in front of the paparazzi and explain ourselves," Cecilia moaned.

"They're not gonna make us do that!" Rin panicked, "We're pilots, but we're also students, aren't we?"

"And as students, we just took part in a fatal rescue mission," Charlotte said.

"Well, whatever it is," Houki looked out the window, "it's not gonna leave our minds for quite some time."

"Agreed," Ichika nodded.

"Aren't you guys being a bit too down for something like this?" Rin raised an eyebrow, "I mean, nothing bad's gonna happen to us, right?"

At that moment, the door opened. Hana poked her head inside and whispered to Lincoln, "Miss Orimura will see you now."

Lincoln's heart sank. His expulsion seemed imminent. He followed Hana to 1025, where he could catch a faint scent of tea, "And this is gonna... I don't know..."

"It'll be ok," Hana rubbed his shoulder, "Just be brave."

"Brave..." Lincoln shook his head, "...right..." He forced the door open and stomped in. When he entered, it was like he stepped in the room for the first time. All the ruffled bed sheets, the small mess in the center of the room...even the pile of props for the midnight games...cleaned out. "What the heck..."

"You two really got along, didn't you?"

"Uh..." Lincoln turned around and saw Chifuyu emerging from the entrance, "Yeah...we did..."

"I expected more from you two," Chifuyu walked in, "This room was a mess when I got here."

"Heheh...we're boys, after all."

Chifuyu motioned him outside to the balcony. There, they bore witness to the rising sun and its warm glow spreading across the campus.

"I'll be frank with you," Chifuyu said, "We're in a difficult position. I'm strongly considering removing you from the Academy."

Lincoln was shocked, "What?! Why?! What gives?!"

"Two things. One: the higher ups saw a twelve year old girl using a weapon of mass destruction to devastate an entire state, causing a major terrorist organization to gain influence through that incident. That's already a major issue with the matter of world security."

"Ok..."

"And two: you blabbed to Hana."

"URK-" Lincoln flinched.

Chifuyu smirked, "I thought I told you, no one can know you're undertaking the mission." Then she yanked his ear, "And only a few minutes ago did I find out that she blabbed to Cecilia and Rin."

"Owowowow..." Lincoln rubbed his ear, "So, what if I swore off of secrets? So, flunk me..."

"SOOoooOOO..." Chifuyu leaned in, "...I would have given you a zero for your final."

"HAAA?!" Lincoln yelped before he processed the rest of her words, "Would have?..."

"Well...I did see something that literally reversed my decision," Chifuyu turned on the TV and flipped to several different civilian interviews, all showing a certain level of appreciation:

["I'll never forget how she threw herself in the way just to shield me."]

["He looked so cool throwing those cards! And his sidekicks looked killer with their weapons and guitar and~~~"]

["What a shame we couldn't help him."]

["He goes to my school!"]

["She did a great service getting that thing away from us."]

"Whoa..." Lincoln gasped.

"And that's just in Michigan," Chifuyu said, "The locals in Japan have been saying the same thing about Ichika and his group."

"Really?"

"Yep," Chifuyu turned off the TV, "But there's still the matter of your family. Just because you are cleared, doesn't mean that your family is."

"Uh...huh..." Lincoln didn't like where this was going, "So... I can stay, but there-"

"-is a major contingency," Chifuyu finished, before handing him an official looking document.

"What's this?" Lincoln asked.

"That's the contingency," Chifuyu explained, "We're relocating your family here."

And in that specific instance, Lincoln felt his second world come crashing down, "Wha...no...no, that cannot be-"

"Oh, but it is," Chifuyu said, "Your family has already been targeted by Phantom Task once before...and almost succeeded. Need I remind you of what happened to LJ?"

"Lynn? How did you-"

Chifuyu flipped the TV on silent, "I recorded this last night." The TV showed Lynn on a wheelchair in a comatose state, being escorted into a hospital, "She's maintaining her bodily functions just fine, but all voluntary actions from the shoulders down have been completely destroyed."

"What the hell..." Lincoln slumped over.

"If you're worried about the cycle, we have a countermeasure," Chifuyu said, "There's farmland allocated in the Hokkaido prefecture just for them."

Lincoln was somewhat offended by that. For the IS people to stick him between his family abroad and his family at home was just too much already, as if they're making him choose which destiny he would prefer. But she had to bring up the one thing that cannot be escaped or canceled, and has already affected the one person he considered his soul brother.

"I understand, Miss Orimura," Lincoln couldn't take it anymore and headed out.

Orimura noticed that tone of anguish, "Do you need anything from me?"

Lincoln turned his brain off, "Tell my family I ain't coming back," then slammed the door.

Chifuyu turned everything in the room off and sighed, "Not that kind of countermeasure..." She left and went to the conference room, where Ichika and the others were awaiting judgement. When she knocked on the door, she heard a collective gasp of surprise. "Oh, brilliant," she thought, "They know my every choice," and opened the door.

"Uh...Miss Orimura!" Cecilia and Charlotte addressed her.

"At ease," Chifuyu said.

"Ma'am? What's going to happen to us?" Hana asked.

"In due time, Suzuki," Chifuyu responded, "Not everyone's assembled yet."

Just then, Kim and Akina snuck inside using an alternate door, which landed them right in the front of the room.

"Glad you could join us," Chifuyu smirked.

"Uh...hello, Miss Orimura..." Akina said nervously.

"Everyone on the couch," Chifuyu ordered. Minutes later, the pilots were gathered in front of the TV.

"Why are we here?" Rin wondered, "We should be at the resort relaxing our way to LaLa Land."

"Normally, yes," Chifuyu sat in front of the group, "But the fact is that you all have committed a very grave offense, not only going against direct orders to remain on standby, but also endangering the general populace. And I don't meant the pilot or the boat."

"Oh...about that," Kim quickly jumped in, "I can assure you that-"

"Not one word," Chifuyu growled.

Kim sat upright.

"Now then," Chifuyu rubbed her head, "In spite of those screw ups, you did manage to safely complete the mission." Then, she looked up at each and every one of the pilots, "So I will take that, and your statements into consideration when deciding the final outcome of your semesters...including one last chance to make your case in front of me. Right now."

"Yes, ma'am," everyone hid their disdain when they acknowledged.

While everyone was making their case for the mission results, the Louds and Casagrandes were all cooped in the hotel trying to turn in for the night. They were all still reeling from the sudden attack and decided that the best way to move on was to forget about the negatives of that night and try to focus on the positives.

"Ok, girls," Lynn Sr said, "Let's all try to turn in for a good night's sleep."

"How?! How are we supposed to get a good night's sleep?!" Lola screamed, "Thanks to this stupid mess of a vacation, my make up is eternally ruined!"

"Really?" Lana shook her head, "I would think that makeup would be the least of your worries."

"It's always a beauty day when you're trying to maintain an outward appearance," Lola wagged her hand, "Now, if you'd excuse me..."

Leni sat behind, "Lola, can you pass the lipstick?"

"Here," Lola tossed the glittery pink, "Just don't get your lips all over my tips."

"Erm..." Leni held in her laughter long enough for Lola to not notice, "Right."

Meanwhile, Rita tried to contact Lynn for the third straight night, to no avail, "Dangit, why doesn't that girl answer?"

"What's wrong, Mom?" Lana asked.

"Oh, it's just Lynn, being Lynn," Rita answered, "She didn't want to be disturbed, I suppose, so she's been giving us the cold shoulder."

"Just a cold shoulder?" Lana wondered, "That's all?"

"Yes, I'm sure of it. Now, why don't you find Luna and Luan and rush them over to bed?"

"Can't," Lana deadpanned her thumb behind her, "They're too busy giving Carlino and earful."

"Still? Ugh, what in the world is keeping them?"

"Honey?" Lynn Sr called out, "Lily and Lisa are out cold, but Lucy's...doing her thing!"

"Just leave her alone," Rita said, "She'll come around."

"Hmm?" Lana thought, "That never came out of their mouths before. The heck is goin' on?" She decided to sneak out of the room, but the moment she came one foot in front of the exit, she could hear a massive argument brewing between Lori, Bobby, Luan, Luna, Carlota, and Carlino. And three of those people were stuck on the ultra offensive:

"Oh, what?! You're saying it's my fault this happened?!"

"I don't suppose you literally blabbed our secrets to those thugs, did you?!"

"Ok, you are way outta line!"

"I'm not done, Bobby!"

"Yes you are!"

"Both of you, get a grip already! This isn't gonna solve anything!"

"But what will is a fist full of bone if you don't fess up!"

"Luna?! What the heck are you saying?!"

Lana crept away from the door, "Oh my waddles...does anybody not notice the wrestle-mania happening outside?"

"We do," Lucy crept up behind her, but she didn't startle her, "We've just chosen to ignore it."

"But why?" Lana was even more disturbed, "Am I missing something, or are we just living under a rock?"

"I'd say, yes we are," Lucy looked around at the other family members just going about their daily business, "I personally think we're avoiding the inevitable...which makes no sense whatsoever."

"You're telling me," Lana muttered, "What's their problem, anyway? Coming after us just because we could use a robot suit?"

Suddenly, Rita's scream penetrated the entire floor, "ARE YOU KIDDING ME?!"

"Oh, poop deck..." Lucy and Lana groaned.

Lynn Sr ran to the bedroom, "Honey, what happened?" He saw Rita shaken, struggling to hold back her tears. He rushed to her side trying to rub her shoulders, "Sweetie? What happened? Talk to me?"

Rita said nothing until Lana and Lucy walked in. Then, she said, "Turn on the tv."

"Huh?" Lana didn't understand.

"I said, turn on the goddamn tv!" Rita shoved Lana and Lynn Sr away and activated the news channel, which unfortunately, had the worst possible timing to put the top story of the night. It was about the battle of Royal Woods that happened a couple nights ago. It wasn't the fact that Lincoln was involved that shocked her, because she already knew that. It wasn't the fact that the city had endured physical damage, because she already prepared the family for collateral damage.

It was the fact that the fight involved Lynn, who took it upon herself to commandeer an IS until all by herself, and in doing so permanently paralyzed her body from the shoulders down, and possibly trapped herself in a coma-based amnesia. That sent Rita into a night of mournful wailing and frantic flailing, "**NO! MY BABY! NO, YOU CAN'T! NOT LIKE THIS! NOOOOOO~~~**"

"Rita, honey, please, you can't!" Lynn Sr tried to restrain her, "Not in front of the others-"

"**LET ME GO! I HAVE TO GO BACK! I HAVE TO!**"

"We will! You just need to rest-"

"**SHUT UP SHUT UP SHUT UP! DO YOU EVEN CARE ABOUT HER?! SHE'S YOUR DAUGHTER, TOO!**"

"RITA, LISTEN TO ME-"

The quarrel was so bad that Rita destroyed the bedroom door, stole the keys, and ran out of the room, where she yanked Lori and Luna from the fight, "Let's go, you two!"

"Owowowow!" Lori yelped, "Where?!"

"We're going back home!" Rita snapped, "You can drive like a maniac, right?" She tossed Lori the keys, "Then, drive like a deranged madwoman and get us home!"

"Whoa, slow down, dude!" Luna tried to push herself between them, "What's gotten into you-BLAGHCK-"

Rita grabbed Luna's collar and brought her to her eye level, "**I. SAID. DRIVE!**"

Lynn Sr rushed down to the garage to stop them from leaving, but he was too slow, "No! Rita, what are you-" When he got to the parking spot, Vanzilla zipped past him and leapt into the empty nighttime streets, hellbent on making it back to Royal Woods. "W...wait!..." Lynn Sr gasped for air, "Y...you can't!...What about...HHOH my god, ugh..."

Leni and Luan raced down to the garage level and saw their father collapse.

"Yow!" Luan picked him up, "Dad, what was that?! What was Mom freaking out about?!"

"It's...I shouldn't have..." Lynn Sr was just muttering at that point.

But Leni heard everything Rita just said, and she could read the distress on his face, "Something happened to either Lincoln or Lynn!"

"Huh?!" Luan shrieked, "What?! What happened?!"

"Get the dad upstairs!" Leni ran ahead, "I have to find Body and make him explain!"

"W-wait a minute! I can't-uy...ok..." Luan struggled her way back to the room, "Ogh...heavy..."

By the time Leni got upstairs, it was already too late. The remaining Louds had just about seen everything they needed to see. But she still burst in anyway and screamed, "Everyone! Something's happened to Lincoln and Lynn!"

"Yeah...we know..." Lucy turned around and showed her the frozen tv image of Lynn on a wheelchair.

"Wha...what...no...not this..." Leni trembled. Each step she took, her legs shook more and more, to the point where she could not support herself anymore and knelt down, her face touching the screen, "Not like this..."

"Yes, like this..." Lana said matter-of-factly, "Apparently, Lynn teamed up with Lincoln against some big bad IS villain...and lost."

"Oh no...no, no no no no n...o...n...o..." Leni lost it and crumbled.

Luan hauled Lynn Sr inside, just in time to see nearly everyone's eyes turn right to her, "Uh, hey y'all...How's it going, heh..."

"It's really going, alright," Lucy pointed to the tv.

"What's the..." Luan saw exactly what Leni saw, "No..."

"Oh, yeah...it's happening..." Lynn Sr grunted as he hoisted himself off of Luan and sat on the bed, "It looks like the worst possible outcome has come true... I take it that we've all been attacked because of the thing at the park..."

"What, just because we've all been able to move it?!" Lola griped.

"Exactly," Lynn Sr said, "I knew it..." he then cursed, "I always knew in the back of my mind that something horrible would happen...why in god's name didn't I stop him from going?!"

"We couldn't, remember?" Lucy reiterated, "It's federal law that forbids us from changing his mind."

"That right there's the problem..." Leni sobbed, "He knew...They both knew this would happen, and yet...Oh god!"

Lynn Sr knelt down and hugged Leni, "Easy, Leni...we'll get through this...we all will..."

And that was it for the night. Lynn Sr and Leni were stuck on the floor, while the rest of the children were forced to take refuge in the living room. While Lori and Luna rammed Rita and Vanzilla throughout the region to get home, Lucy, Lana, Luan, and Lola tried to console each other, looking for any possible lighthearted moment to cope with the situation, while ignoring the explosive shouting that had engulfed the Casagrande room.

Back in Royal Woods, Clyde and Chandler were taking a brief walk throughout the city.

"Man, I didn't think this would get that bad..." Clyde muttered.

"I know," Chandler nodded, "In addition to the ass-whooping we all received..."

"What was Margo thinking?! Why would she throw her tantrum around the state, when she's only gunning for Lincoln and Lynn?! It makes no sense!"

"When you've lost a parent and are constantly called "horse face", you might be a little on the nasty side."

"Oh..." Clyde was disturbed by that line, "So, what now?"

Chandler looked up to the nighttime sky, which was blotched out by the city lights, "It ain't safe for them anymore. Not after those looneys tested positive for IS compatibility."

"Wait-huh?!" Clyde stopped him, "We're kicking them out of Royal Woods?!"

"No," Chandler showed him the email he received, "We're kicking them out of the USA."

"Uh...but-"

"It can't be helped. Too many people know."

Clyde slumped, dejected at the thought of never seeing his best friend, or his best family friends, ever again. But when he weighed that option against all other alternatives, it was the choice that bought them the most time to figure out a more efficient solution, "Ok...I'll send out a message..."

Chandler nodded, "And I'll coordinate with Orimura."

"She ain't gonna be happy with that...after what I found out."

"You told her?..."

"No. No, I didn't."

"Good."

The next morning was just as disastrous as it looked. When Rita made it to the hospital, she barged right in and blasted through the hallways to find the room Lynn was in. Sure enough, when Rita saw Lynn lying motionless on the hospital bed, she broke down and demanded that the doctors let her enter, to which she was denied and had to be dragged out by police. Lori and Luna tried to explain everything to them, but they were dragged away as well. All three were escorted to the police station, where they were handed the dreaded letter:

**To Mr and Mrs Loud,**

**It has come to our attention that you and your family have been targeted for a terrorist attack because of your children's special abilities. Because of this, your family is receiving an abhorrent amount of attention. Therefore, you and your family will automatically be placed in the Witness Protection Program. Due to extenuating circumstances, we will be relocating you to an area far away from civilian eyes, but close enough to where the IS authorities can provide you with essential services while monitoring your movements.**

**You have one day to prepare for the move. Take this time to gather your belongings and disconnect yourselves from the urban scene.**

**Sincerely,**

**{REDACTED SIGNATURE}, US Secretary of Homeland Security **

Translation: the Louds have made too much noise to the point where it's impossible to contain it all, and now everyone wants a piece of them, including international terrorists. So, now they have to go into hiding. They were informed that they would have to go without Lynn, since she would be transported by a separate carrier. Rita begged the police officers to make an exception, but the officers wouldn't have it, saying that the Louds' presence puts them all in danger. Rita had completely lost all emotion and had Lori drive everyone home. The van returned to the Loud house at the same time as the rest of the Louds arrived in the Casagrande van. And that was when the problems escalated. People and friends were banging on their doors demanding answers, with no intention of leaving until one of the Louds told them what they wanted to hear. Police had to be called in several times to forcefully disperse the crowds, leaving the entire family scarred. During that time, no one knew what was going to happen to them. People were already forming their opinions prior to today. They formed their opinions about them before they discovered the IS. Surely their social lives and reputation would take a huge drop, lightly speaking.

It wasn't until later that evening when Lynn Sr called an emergency meeting and huddled everyone, sans Rita, in the basement.

"Alright, listen up, everyone," Lynn Sr said, "I've just read the letter and spoke with the authorities. Apparently, we're all going to Japan."

"Really?" Luna raised an eyebrow, "Ain't that a good thing?"

"I've always wanted to visit Shibuya," Leni said, slightly dejected, "but this isn't what we're doing, is it?"

"Sadly, no," Lynn Sr shook his head, "and I don't think we're gonna be doing any sightseeing around our new place either."

"But, why?!" Lola whined, "Why do we have to move?!"

"I'm not sure," Lucy suddenly turned to Luna, "but if I had to guess..."

"Hey, you're not blazing this whole wrap on me!" Luna snapped, "I ain't done nothing to y'all!"

"You think that's all there is to it, huh?!" Luan went off, "How about the time you socked Janice and Juniper?!"

"How about you railing on everybody to flip Flip's into a hub for war operations?!"

"How about you ditching your own music to FIGHT FIGHT FIGHT THE POWER-"

"**ENOUGH!**" Lynn Sr bellowed, and made everyone prop themselves upright. After taking a deep breath, he said, "There's no negation, no "Get Out of Jail" cards, and especially no flexibility. We're all leaving. The police will come get us tomorrow morning, so everyone destroy your phones, electronics, just-anything that can track us."

At which point, all the girls older than Lucy freaked out,

"HAA?!"

"But what about Bobby?!"

"How do I manage my business, then?!"

"My music fans are gonna freak!"

"I! DON'T! **CARE!**" Lynn Sr reduced a lectern to rubble, with just one swing of his fists. He barely managed to rein himself in before giving the final judgement, "That's it. I'm ending it here. The point is...this whole war started because we didn't have the nerve to tell everything up front, so now we're paying for it! And until we can get back to our normal lives without kicking up a storm every step we take, we will remain in hiding. No exceptions."

The family split up into three groups and went to separate rooms. One group had Lola, Lana, and Lisa all in the twins' room.

Lisa read the letter and the accompanying packet in full, in record time, and she wished she hadn't, "Judging from the language of the reading, the length of the meeting, and the level of shouting that caused the abrupt end to said meeting...I'd say that this was our own doing."

"How?! What did we do?!" Lola screamed, "Can someone please explain to me what Dad meant?! Or, what anyone meant?!"

Lucy shook her head, "Not do what you're doing right now?"

"Look, Lols," Lana came clean, "I'll admit... I ain't got no problem living under a rock."

"Because that's exactly what you've been doing!" Lola snapped, "I have to maintain my status quo! If I don't, then there will be massive consequences!"

Lisa rolled her eyes, "Self-inflicted consequences, you mean."

"What'd you say, Poindexter?!"

"Look," Lisa continued, "we've all done things that have repercussions, but those repercussions only affected the parties involved, AKA people who knew about the cause in the first place."

"Ok, your point?"

"My point is: do we know why we are being sent away?"

"Of course!" Lola responded rather sarcastically, "Because, APPARENTLY, we made a big deal and even bigger deal than it needed to be."

"And why the war?"

"Because of..." Lola stopped. She realized that none of it would've been necessary, were it not for Luna and Lynn whomping Janice and Juniper, "Well...They we're just-"

"Exactly," Lisa said, "I strongly believe that the ulterior motive behind this has something that relates to our elder siblings trying to save face."

Lana had a sudden thought, "Oh, I get it...actually, not really. If the sixth grade thing's all it was, shouldn't this have been under the bridge by now?"

"It's not that easy, especially since Hank and Hawk were involved," Lisa reasoned with her, "Someone close to their home must've recruited them to attack us. They're not smart enough to coordinate a full-on home invasion by themselves."

"Are you saying, there's a traitor in our midst?!" Lola grabbed her crown and hugged it out of anxiety.

Lisa had not considered that possibility, but when she thought back to the initial posting of the Squirrel Boy picture, she couldn't figure out any reason how Janice was able to snap a photo of him...unless someone either blabbed his location, or knew where they were going and paid them a visit. She went into deep thought, "...that is certainly an option..."

"What?" Lana didn't like that look, "What super brainy hypothumbo is going on now?"

Lisa thought to the moment when the gangsters had been subdued. She was one of only two people to remain hidden throughout the fight, which allowed her to catch that last exchange, and a distress call, in the living room, "...they said Margo..."

"What?" Lola and Lana piqued.

"Margo's name was mentioned, by both the distress call and that vagrant," Lisa mused, "but why?"

"Margo..." Lana repeated, "You don't think-"

"I knew that little jobber was up to no good!" Lola rolled up her sleeves, "I OUGHTA-"

"No," Lisa swiped the crown away from her, "We don't know for sure. We need to find out if she was the one, and if so, why."

"Why would we do that?" Lola questioned while taking her crown back, "She's probably gotten cozy with us just to expose our dirty little secrets."

Lana attempted to ask, "Wasn't Winston kinda-"

But Lola stopped her right there, "HE! IS! DIFFERENT!"

The second group had Lori, Leni, Luna, and Luan cooped up in the attic.

"This is literally the worst!" Lori panicked, "What did we do to deserve this?!"

"Didn't Dad already say what we did?!" Leni got angry, "We were too Loud! Way too Loud for our own good!"

"And whose idea was it to stop by the park and try on that giant hunk of junk?!" Luna glared at Leni.

"What are you giving me that look for?! Lynn and Lana were the ones who wanted to show Lincoln up!"

"Why didn't you stop them?!"

"Why did you join in with them?!"

"Ok, I get it!" Luan yelled, "Pointing fingers is not gonna solve anything!"

"Well, how else are we gonna know how this whole wrap started?!" Luna shouted.

"Guys, can we not for one night?!" Lori screamed, "We already have enough problems as is!"

"Problems you started!" Luna snapped, "As soon as we got back from school, you started plotting our course of this whole shindig!"

Lori ended up arguing as well, "I'm sorry! Who punched Hawk's sister and let Lynn fly at both of them?!"

"Oh, don't you pin this whole wrap on me!"

"We saw the goddamn video!"

And then, Lori, Luna, and Leni wound themselves up in a heated argument. Luan couldn't stand the angry words they were flinging at each other, so she took her ventriloquist dummy and fled the room. She was halfway down the stairs when she took a breather, "Boy...I don't know what's gotten into them, but it ain't turkey and Indians...We should be thankful that we're still alive..."

Suddenly, Luan's hand felt the need to take control of her puppet. And her mouth felt the need to make words come out of its wooden hole, "You say that now, toots."

"Wha?...Mister Coco-"

Suddenly, she heard three hard bitch slaps coming from the attic, followed by a brief shout fest. It ended when Leni and Luna returned to their rooms.

Mister Coconuts popped right into Luan's face, "Would you like to take back your statement, madam?"

"Oh, be quiet, woody," Luan groaned and continued downward, and into the master bedroom, where Lucy was occupying Lily, Rita sat on her bed motionless, and Lynn Sr was already packing his suitcases. Luan went to where Lily was reciting Lucy's poems, "Uh...quite the English lesson there, Luce..."

"Hm?" Lucy turned her hair toward Luan, "No pun today?"

"Nah," Luan said, "Wasn't the right time."

"Oh..." Lucy looked at Rita, who kept reading over the report on her cellphone about the Battle of Chicago, "You know, I think we could use one right now."

"You sure?" Luan asked.

"I'll never know what happened to make Mom so fascinatingly melancholy, but maybe it's run its course."

"I guess..." Luan sat down and gave her puppet to Lily, "...then again, maybe it hasn't. Lori, Luna, and Leni were wringing the sadness out of each other it got so loud."

"What'd you expect?" Lucy took the puppet away once lily started chewing on it, "It's in the name."

"Poppet!" Lily said, "I want poppet!"

"I don't know..." Luan cuddled Lily, "None of this makes sense. Why would we have to flee our own home?"

"Probably because whoever rattled us has a connection to us spanning years."

Luan and Lily went "Wuh?..."

"No one endures this much damage unless it's direct from their past," Lucy said.

"And how do you know this?" Luan asked.

"Vampires of Melancholia, season finale. Edwin ends up having to flee into hiding because of Griselda's past lover exacting revenge on them both."

Luan rolled her eyes while Lily blew a raspberry.

Just then, Lynn Sr three several suitcases out of the room. He unveiled several more and plopped on the bed, "OH MY GOODNESS...Huhhhhhh...Lucy, you and Luan distribute them to your sisters..."

"I am she," Lucy muttered while hoisting a couple suitcases on her back, "Sigh..."

Luan helped Lucy with the load while Lily carried her puppet upstairs. They gave each sister two cases to pack their essentials in silence. No one spoke a word with for a good while until it was time for bed. They all went to sleep in separate rooms, without dinner.

Lily went down to sleep with Rita, sensing the emotional turmoil inside the maternal guardian. While Lynn Sr chose not to sleep in order to make more time for preparation, Rita held Lily tightly and cooed her to sleep while unloading her waterfall tears.

Lisa stayed in her room and packed her belongings in record time, but she spent the night looking into Margo's past. And after making some startling discoveries, including Margo having a brother, "Impossible...How did she keep a secret after all this time..." She got really busy.

Lana couldn't quell her curiousity and took to sleeping in the backyard. She looked around for a good place to rest her eyes, until eventually some squirrels appeared and offered her a spot on the grass. Once she lay down, she was out cold.

Lola hunkered down in her own room trying to reclaim her lost beauty sleep. But the thought of Juniper declaring Margo's victory over Lincoln infested her brain. What was the missing link, she wondered. How does this connect with their exile? And, most importantly, how would she ever face Winston again?

Lucy huddled herself in the basement scribbling in her journal furiously. All the downtrodden emotions have given her huge inspiration to let her mind loose with all the poems she could think of.

Luan went to the top of the bunk bed and lay there, having a mental break from the drama to focus on the future. If there was one... "How the heck are we supposed to comeback from this?..." she wondered.

Luna was strumming along her guitar in the garage, trying to think of something, anything, that can take her out of the house and into high heaven. But no matter what she played, she always kept coming back to two tunes that kept her grounded. The two tunes that she bestowed upon Lincoln the day of his departure.

Leni was trying to make a PBJ sandwich in the kitchen to get her mind off the recent fight. She was able to place the correct ingredients on the bread, but no sooner had she thought of the photo of Lincoln and Lynn in the hospital did she turn the kitchen into a war zone.

Lori was flat-out scared. Not only was she about to lose all connection to Bobby, but her future was about to be stalled. She had everything planned out, and she thought were it not for the people around her, she would've already been on her merry way out. At least until a text message ran straight into her phone seconds ago:

ChiOri: He knows everything. He knows about Kenneth.

For some reason, Lori was unsettled by the name. She felt like she knew him long ago, but nothing in her memory was responding to the name. She jogged her memory countless times, but nothing happened. Where could she have heard that name before? And when?


	43. OUTRO: Clear Your Mind (Part 2)

The next day came, and suddenly there was no movement anywhere in the house. All the Louds has drowned in their own emotions and fallen asleep, unable to catch the noise of van opening up and releasing the proper authorities, all women, to their property. One of them tore off the electric doorbell and knocked on the door, which woke up Lori and Leni.

"AAAAA!" Leni screamed, "We're being robbed!"

"No, we're not," Lori groaned, "We're being moved."

"Oh...AAAAA! We're moving robbed!"

"That's it," Lori couldn't take it anymore and dragged Leni by the ear. She used Leni to open the door, and the people outside just stormed right in, "Wait, huh?! What are you doing?!"

"I'm sorry, but we are behind on time," one of the women said, "We must go now," and escorted her out.

"Wait! Not even a goodbye?!" Lori shouted, "I forgot my suitcase! I need my phone!"

Leni panicked, "HELP! WE'RE BEING MOVED!" Her scream woke almost everyone up and alerted them to the women in black suits entering their rooms. Lana was still out cold and had to be carried in a giant van.

But Rita, Lily, and Lynn Sr were jolted awake. They turned behind them and saw a familiar face.

And Lynn Sr didn't like it, "You..."

"Me again," Tomoya waved.

"Is this your doing?!" He shouted, "Are you trying to tear my family apart?!"

"We're trying to keep your family alive," she responded.

"Oh, don't give me that pow dung! Give me one good reason why I shouldn't walk out of here and run!"

"Where will you run to?" She pulled out her cellphone and showed him several reports of potential attacks, all of them relatives of the Loud house, "All ten of your daughters showed astounding IS compatibility. Phantom Task has already plotted revenge, and decided to go back after your relatives."

"No...it can't be...what about this Ichika person?!

"They can't go after Ichika because his immediate family is already dead, and his only sister is your son's instructor. If you run now, you'll be in your own."

Lynn Sr was visibly shaken. Lily crawled over to his feet and tugged his pants, but got no reaction.

Rita suddenly muttered, "What about Lynn? Is she coming?"

"She'll be traveling separately until she wakes up," Tomoya said.

"No," Rita stood up and demanded, "I want her in the same vehicle as us."

"That's impossible. She needs the equipment-"

"GIVE HER BACK TO ME!" Out of pure instinct, Rita grabbed an umbrella and lunged at Tomoya.

Tomoya stepped inward and struck Rita's wrist, flinging the umbrella out of reach, then upercutted her, effectively knocking her out.

"Mom?!" Lola and Luan saw that and broke out of someone's grip. She rushed to her side, "Mom?! No! Wake up!" Lola glared at Tomoya, "What did you do the her?!"

"She refused to move," Tomoya said, "I have to move her now." That scared the two sisters into backing off. Tomoya carried Rita out of the room, "I suggest you all move, or we will move you as well."

As the women packed the Louds' belongings in the van, the sisters struggled to make sense of what was happening. All they knew was they didn't like it and they suddenly wanted out. They were warned of the consequences of staying behind; it already happened to Lynn, and that same fate would befall them if they stayed. That was all the reasoning they need to have their minds changed. Eventually, they were all put inside separate vans, Lily and the parents in one, and the sisters in the others, van and driven away from their home, with another familiar face as the sisters' driver.

"What's gonna happen to our house?" Luna asked.

"Two and a half hours from now," Akane said, "it will be destroyed...replaced with a new house."

"WHAT?!" Everyone screamed:

"You can't!"

"Are you stupid?!"

"You're horrible!"

"Haven't we suffered enough?!"

Akane promptly silenced them, "You honestly think I liked that idea?! I asked them if we could at least renovate it, but no! All traces of you have to be erased!"

Everyone gasped.

"Besides, I know about the war, too," Akane continued, "Y'all made way too much noise and got the whole world talking about your little stunt. Now, local skirmishes are popping up all over the damn community."

"We just wanted to support each other!" Leni said.

"Ain't nothing wrong with a little family party, right?" Luna added.

Much to Akane's disdain, "Would Lincoln have wanted to party like that?"

The family sat silent. They knew that Lincoln was on board with them, but they never considered whether or not he actually wanted it. Just then, the entire van buzzed.

"Yo! What's happening?!" Luna freaked.

"Feels like an incoming transmission," Lisa guessed.

"Almost," Akane activated the van's incognito mode, "It's a live video feed from IS Academy," she clicked several buttons, "Secure channel established. Connection in 3...2...1..." once she showed the feed on screen, she regretted it, "Oh Jesus no..."

"Lincoln?!" Everyone shouted.

"Hey, guys..." Lincoln held up a camcorder, "How's it hanging?"

"Uh...it's hanging alright..." Lana said, "How about you?"

"It ain't," he said, "I've been throttled, ransacked, I've throttled and ransacked, and it costed me Lynn and Margo! They're both out cold! I don't know if they can be revived!"

"What do you mean, Margo can't be revived?!" Leni shrieked.

"You know, Margo, Lynn's BFF..." Lincoln growled, "...person who tried to kill me because of something Lori did?"

"What?!" Everyone reacted.

"What did I do?!" Lori snapped, "What could I have possibly done to-"

"Oh, don't play coy with me!" Lincoln snapped, "Does the name Kenneth Roberts ring anything to you?"

"It does," Lisa suddenly butt in, "He is Margo's brother...He's also the person who quote-unquote beat you into amnesia."

"Correct," Lincoln said, "And do you know why?"

Lisa turned her gaze to everyone who was older than her, "I wanna hear it from Lori."

Lori, Luan, and Luna jumped in their seats.

"Lori?" Lola reacted, "What does she know?"

"What would she know?" Lucy jumped in, "She forgets things from years ago."

"Doesn't mean it didn't happen," Lincoln interrupted, "And it doesn't mean it left her subconscious!"

"What do you want me to say?!" Lori shouted, "What should I tell you to make you happy?!"

Lincoln cracked his knuckles and let it all out, "That you, Luan, and Luna teased Kenneth to no end! That your antics seeped into the middle school mold for years! That after you three left, they still permeated and affected Lynn, too! That because of you, he punched my memory out, rattling Margo! THAT YOU THREE ARE THE REASON THAT THOSE THREE ARE UP A CREEK WITH JUST A SHOTGUN! **HAVE YOU EVER THOUGHT ABOUT THAT?!**"

The entire sisterhood sat shocked. Not one knew what to say. Lucy, Lola, Lisa, and Lana were astounded over the stunned silence of their older sisters, who had their memories joggled. Except Leni, who was completely absent during the triggering events.

But Luan, Luna, and most of all Lori...they remembered.

Bobby never attended Royal Woods Middle School, so he never got to bare witness to Kenneth's victimization. He communicated with Lori via cellphone, which meant that Lori was free to hide the truth however she wanted. She didn't say anything about Kenneth, and only did she find out that Bobby was attending a neighboring high school did she start to forget about Kenneth. By the middle of her freshman year, she had forgotten about him altogether. Luan and Luna kept up the teasing and rumoring Lori created until they advanced to high school and got bored of it, and then they too forgot about Kenneth. But their younger friends certainly didn't. They kept it going until Lynn happened among them. When Kenneth snapped, Margo harbored a secret resentment for Lynn and Lincoln for somehow getting Kenneth's childhood ruined, and it blossomed into an evil fruit once Lincoln entered the IS Academy and received so much attention. And the rest was history.

Literally. Lori was just plain speechless that Lincoln was able to piece together everything about the past, "Lincoln... I just...I didn't-"

"Yeah, you didn't think it'd be this bad because you forgot, right?" Lincoln angrily said, "Was it the same for everyone else, too?!"

"Nope," Lisa said, "I was never informed. Lucy, Lola, Lana, and Lily were kept in the dark as well. I've only pieced together our elder sisters' involvement five seconds before we departed. And I can assume our parents only knew half the story~~~"

Lucy, Lola, and Lana has their jaws dropped as Lisa spilled everything she knew, which was nearly word for word what Lincoln saw in IS sub space, save for Kenneth's disorder.

"And that's the word of the day," Lisa finished, "Luan, Luna, did I neglect any hidden details?"

Luan and Luna didn't know what to say, so they just sat silent.

Lincoln took their silence to mean that the full story was uncovered. "Alright, then answer me this..." he demanded the ultimate sacrifice of truth, "What did you hope to gain from keeping it from me, and possibly everyone else? Why did you sweep this whole thing with Kenneth under the rug?"

They had no excuse. They quite literally forgot. Luan scrambled to put together a plausible explanation, "We just wanted to protect you, bro. We didn't want you-"

But it was quickly shut down. "Protect me from what?!" Lincoln got angry, "From Phantom Task?! From your past mistakes literally biting my pelvic regions?! Well, clearly that didn't work!"

"Calm down, little man!" Luna snapped, "We just wanted what's best for you!"

"Then, what is it?! What is your reasoning for keeping a secret from me after all these years?!"

Leni looked at him. Then, he looked at her sisters. Her feeble mind was trying to make sense of the entire story, but nothing was connecting with her. Lori turned to Leni, who just shrugged. Luan and Luna couldn't bring themselves to look at her, mainly because they were right along with her throughout the debacle, but also because they didn't have a reason why they kept it a secret. They just did it on a whim. They don't even have a reason why they forgot.

Lori, however, did...sort of. And it all had to do with outward appearance. She looked down and muttered through her teeth, "I didn't want you to think anything else of us..."

Lincoln went completely pale, "**...what...the hell...does that mean...**"

"It means, we all make mistakes," Lori had to squeeze the words out of her diaphragm, "Stuff we didn't want to admit...We kept it secret because we wanted you to look up to us, because if we told you, you'd hate us for it."

Lincoln was done, "Ha...ha ha ha...you're joking-y-you gotta be joking..." Hearing that explanation told him that they learned nothing. Hearing that explanation told him that they put him on a pedestal very early on, and they were using him as a benchmark for all the boys they came across. Bobby was over the benchmark, so Lori latched onto him easily. Kenneth fell far below that benchmark, so he was ripe for the picking. And the reason no one told him about that fight... was so he could stay the way he was. And Lori, Luan, and Luna convinced everyone not to tell, even the doctor; they rushed to him and begged him not to allow anyone to talk.

In other words, in his mind, Lincoln was being used before he was used.

"Oh my god..." he finally lost it and disappeared from the camera, "...that has got to be the most...bullshit excuse y'all have ever vomited!..."

"Lincoln?!" Lori panicked.

"Hey, hold on a sec!" Luan tried to hold him over, but the feed cut off. She slumped back in her chair, "Oh my god, he knows...he knows everything now..."

"I'm sure it's all just a phase for him," Luna said unenthusiastically, "He'll understand when he's older."

"Pfft! Get real, sister," Lola scoffed, "With a performance like that, who'd want to go anywhere near you?"

"How about when you sent the sisters against him for using the Noise-B-Gone buds?" Lisa rubbed.

"That was different!" Lola protested, "He came around!"

"Probably better he hadn't..." Lana suddenly murmured, "Did you forget last summer?"

"He still let it go! I remember!"

"He did it out of whim," Lucy said, "Out of a wish that this would miraculously go away." She turned her hair to her older sisters, "Clearly, that failed."

Lori buried her face in her knees, unable to comprehend what feeling of shame had just overcome her. Luan and Luna backed away to the farthest corners of the van in order to control their rage. All three shut their minds and locked down hearts from their immediate environment in order to prevent themselves from breaking down completely. Because they couldn't say anything.

Or rather, there was nothing to say. Everything has already been said. The truth had been discovered.

"Sorry about that," Akane said, "I really thought that was Miss Orimura."

"Does that thing say who's it from?" Lucy wondered.

"No," Lisa shook her head, "Only the frequency and location."

"Oh, just wonderful," Lola pouted when she looked at the dejected faces of her older sisters, "How can it get any worse?"

"Well..." Akane nervously pointed to the rear view mirror.

Lola looked behind her and saw a similar looking van with another familiar face, "You can't be serious..."

Their parents witnessed it all through a secret camera. They were able to see and hear Lincoln's full emotions, as well as the sisters' reactions. Lily didn't fully understand, but she could already tell that the family dynamics were going to disintegrate. Lynn Sr and Rita sat motionless. They just heard something very disturbing, something that was kept hidden from them. In their minds, their own children orchestrated Lincoln's demise.

If only they told him...If they told him, then he could've changed his future. Instead, they told him nothing, and he found out the hard way.

Back in Japan, Lincoln couldn't take it anymore. He hurried to the hangar and retrieved his IS.

"Lincoln?" Charlotte happened upon him on her way to her room, "Are you ok?"

He didn't bat an eye while suiting up, "I'm fine...perfectly fine." Then, he powered up his IS.

"Wait, where are you going?!" Charlotte screamed, "Lincoln?!"

"TO SEE KENNETH!" Lincoln blasted off into the sky. He waited until he was out of Japanese airspace to deal in an ally, "Counter."

Card Counter materialized on his back, "You called? Again?"

"Where's Kenneth Roberts?"

Card Counter took out her tracker and looked him up, "Kenneth Roberts, Kenneth Roberts, let's see...sent to Hazeltucky Juvenile Center during the middle of his 6th grade first semester. Because of his decent behavior, he will be released in eight months."

"I see," Lincoln increased speed, "I'm gonna need you and High Card to help me."

An hour and a half later...

A gruff male teenager was walking out of his cell, wearing a tattered coat atop his skinny jeans and baggy shirt. Just one gaze from his eyes was more than enough to repel anyone who would ever think about walking in his direction. He sat by himself at lunch table with the standard lunch meal, when a staff member approached him.

"Mr. Roberts?" The staff member said, "You have a visitor."

The boy raised an eyebrow. There's only one person who would ever visit him, and she's been taken to a hospital. Who would ever bother with someone like him? He had to see. He got up and threw his tray in the trash. Then, he followed his superior to the visiting room.

"You're doing a lot better, Kenneth," the person commented, "No obtuse outbursts for the entire morning." He stopped Kenneth at a door, "You remember what we talked about yesterday, right?"

The boy scoffed and shoved the door open, for the most part in control of his emotions. And not two seconds after he saw the beloved did he feel his control slipping away. He saw a blonde girl with a light blue tank top, brown cargo shorts, blue slip-on shoes, blue eyeshadow, and pearl earrings. The very description of the person who ruined his life. He wanted to pay her back so much, but he stopped when he saw felt his supervisor's gaze pierce through a hidden window. He walked towards the table she was at, and she seemed to recognize him.

"You must be Kenneth?" She said.

"I am," He growled, "What about?"

"I could tell by your unsettling snarls."

Kenneth cautiously took his seat across from the woman, "So, you're the one visiting me?"

"Yep," she nodded, "Name's High Card."

"High Card..." he repeated, "What kind of name is that?..."

"A name that literally means, card that rules all," she responded, "So, I hear you're gonna be set free next year."

Kenneth didn't say anything; he was still very disturbed by her outfit.

"Hm?" High Card took notice, "Oh, this...Yeah, I know about the woman who put you in here, so I thought I'd try a little confrontational therapy."

"Therapy? You?" Kenneth didn't believe it, "What are you getting at?"

"Closure," High Card opened an app on her phone that displayed a photo of Lori at her heyday, "Let's start with a simple exercise."

"Wh...what?" Kenneth stared at the photo, "What you you want from me?"

"I want you to say whatever you want about this woman," she shut her phone off, "Pretend I'm really her, cuz I'll be doing the same. What do you want to say?"

Kenneth couldn't believe his senses. He was given the chance to confront the person who ruined him. For years, he was told to keep his emotions in check, yet this woman was telling him to fire them up and let out his frustrations.

And he didn't pass it up, "How could you?"

High Card changed personas and literally became Lori, "Uh...huh?"

Kenneth banged the table, "HOW COULD YOU?!"

"How could I what? You're literally talking noise here."

"Noise like you?! Noise like the static I've been hearing for years now?! Do you have any idea what I had to go through because of you?!"

"Of, course I do. I was the one who put it all into motion, or are you really that stupid?"

"DON'T GIVE ME THAT HIGH AND MIGHTY CRAP! I WENT THROUGH YEARS OF TORTURE, YEARS OF DIRTY GOSSIP BECAUSE OF YOU! MY MOTHER IS IN WEEKLY THERAPY SESSIONS DOING GOD KNOWS WHAT! I HAVEN'T SEEN HER AT ALL SINCE THAT DAY!"

"Good. You don't need her. You got everything you need right here."

Kenneth grabbed her head and slammed it on the table, "I oughta take you to the cave right now and wind you out of your head!"

HIGH CARD — SHIELD 18/20%

"Right..." she said, "Like you did Lynn and Lincoln?"

"What?!" Kenneth was caught off guard, "What are you talking about?!"

"Hello? Buck-teeth? Farty McStinkface? None of them ringing a bell?"

It rang, alright. They were the people he beat down, out of a pure lust for any kind of payback. He tried to deflect it, "Shut up! What do you know?! You're their sister, so you're gonna make them do the same thing to me!"

"Uh, that's impossible," she said, "You just met them. How do you know that they'd turn out like me?"

"I just do! You're whole family is nothing but asshole-ry from the get go!"

"Well, Lynn is an asshole...but only because you made her into one."

"SHUT UP!" Kenneth banged her head again, "YOU KNOW NOTHING!"

HIGH CARD — SHIELD 15/20%

"Oh, but I do..." she murmured, "Poor old Lincoln was walking down the street when he just happened upon you and Lynn. He couldn't stand the thought of his own kin being beaten up for no reason."

Kenneth struck her cheek and made her fall to the ground, "I HAVE A REASON! FOR BEING YOUR STUPID SIBLING!"

HIGH CARD — SHIELD 12/20%

"Well..." she struggled to get back up, "I mean, if you call going to school stupid...All she did was ask where her class was."

Kenneth remembered clearly. By opening the floodgates to his emotions, he also opened the door to his memory. He remembered picking on Lynn just because she was a Loud. That's it. That's all there was.

"And poor Margo," High Card continued on, "That's Lynn's BFF. What kind of monster are you? You took out Margo's best freaking friend. Is she next?"

"**SHUT UUUUUUP!**" Kenneth slammed his fist against High Card's head.

HIGH CARD — SHIELD 6/20% (WARNING)

"SHIT UP SHUT UP SHUT UUUUUUUUUUUUUP~~" Kenneth wailed, "I DIDN'T MEAN TO DO THAT, OK?! YOU WERE JUST SO AGGRAVATING THAT I COULDN'T TAKE IT ANYMORE! YOU WOULD NEVER LEAVE ME ALONE, SO I HAD TO DO SOMETHING! ANYTHING! I DIDN'T CARE!"

"And this was your big hoorah? Swinging your fists at those two numbskulls?"

"No it's not!" Kenneth panted, "It wasn't!...It's not supposed to be...I could've done right...I could've done something else... but you kept coming to me...Why?!...Why can't you just leave me alone?!..." and then he burst into tears, "If only...you just...shut up...for one goddamn second..." He suddenly felt himself being cuddled into a girl's chest.

"You wouldn't have been such a prick..." High Card returned to normal, "I know..."

On instinct, Kenneth wrapped his arms around High Card and let it all out. His anger, disappointment, and broken dreams, all dirtying High Card's tank top. He spent a good ten minutes shouting everything he wanted to say into her chest. Afterwards, they sat down and shared one last heart-to-heart.

"I hear your dad died in Afghanistan," High Card said.

"Yeah..." Kenneth nodded, "Tough as nails, he was. He really liked Hazeltucky because of all the people he talked to. But when he was gone...so were the friendlies."

"That's gotta be hard...Your mother didn't take that kindly?"

"Nope...she done put me up for adoption the moment I fumbled with Lynn. No one's come to pick me up..."

"Must be a whole other road for you," High Card said, "My man used to be a family man until recently...now he wants what you've got."

"Dude's friggin' pale as all hell," Kenneth commented, "I don't understand what he's thinking about."

"Family, definitely," High Card gave him a bag, "It can make and break you...Well, it made, then broke Lincoln."

"Well, what does that make me?" Kenneth opened the bag and pulled out a Double Burpin' Special, "No way..." that was his favorite thing to eat. He looked on in shock. He couldn't comprehend why anyone would go out of their way to help him express himself.

"Well, since they've literally broke you," High Card winked, "maybe someone else can make you proper now."

Kenneth didn't look up, or show any emotion on his face. He just enjoyed his burger, grateful that he was able to spend quality time with a friendly face after so long.

Completely unaware that he was being guarded by an invisible barrier generated by Card Counter, "Shield integrity shows no change. Not even people can phase through it."

SAVVY SUITE — SHIELD 98/137%

CARD COUNTER — SHIELD 9/11%

"Good," Lincoln nodded, "Bring it down when he's had his fill."

"This is highly irregular!" Kenneth's supposed counselor said, "We're trying to control his behavior, not exhibit it!"

"And he hasn't spoken a single decent sentence since his arrival," Lincoln glared.

"No! No, we cannot allow him to leave with that-"

Lincoln held a card to the counselor's neck, "She's done a better job in ten minutes than you did in five damn years. His sister's conked out. His mom's lollygagging in Kingdom Come. Are you trying to make him incompatible with society?"

The counselor and nearby staff members thought about ways to rein him in, but they would all lead to a massive fallout of secrets, and possible destruction of the facility. Even though he's only a minor, he's still an IS pilot. The media was on his side. It would only be a matter of time before he manipulated it against them

"Alright..." the manager begrudgingly offered his services, "What do you want?"

"I want him in a regular house before the new year," Lincoln demanded.

"Do you realize how impossible that is?!" Someone shouted.

"Is that so?" Card Counter raises an eyebrow while displaying all the information about Kenneth, already downloaded onto her wave function flash drive, "Then, I'll tell everyone what you've done to him."

"Can we please talk about the terms of this ridiculous engagement?!"

"You've done that for how many years now?"

The staff tried to negotiate the terms, but Lincoln and Card Counter would have none of it. They saw High Card leave and followed her outside, into a massive media bungle.

A woman in a yellow blazer emerged from the pack and pulled out a microphone, "Excuse me, Mr Loud?"

"I am he," Lincoln stepped forward.

"Katherine Mulligan of the Royal Woods Local," the woman said, "We were all wondering why you made a surprise visit back to your stomping grounds."

"To tie up a loose end left behind by my own family," Lincoln said, "and to expedite the release of an innocent teen."

After spending fifteen minutes explaining that ginormous backstory, and over an hour making sure none of it could be taken down, the trio flew back to Royal Woods. They sat on the sidewalk across from the Loud house while watching a wrecking ball plow through Lincoln's room, finishing what little remained of the second floor.

"Funny," High Card said, "Normally, you'd be up in arms about seeing my one and only home getting utterly butt raped."

Card Counter shut her ears and eyes.

Lincoln winced, "Ok, that came outta nowhere."

High Card laughed, "Brood."

Lincoln shook his head and watched the construction workers clear out the rest of the lot. Nothing was spared, not even the giant tree that housed some of the best hide-and-seek games the town has ever known. The sandbox, baby swing-everything was taken to five trash collection vehicles to be incinerated.

"Well?" High Card nudged him, "Any last words?"

Lincoln thought about it. What to say to the place that has always been his hideout, bed and breakfast, playground... but there were no words he could muster. All that came to him was one final, symbolic gesture. He walked over to one of the workers and asked for pen and paper. Then, while the workers were on lunch break, he walked onto the porch and gave it one last rub.

After all was done, he wrote the word Loud on the paper, held it to the sky, and ripped it to shreds.

The next day...

Lincoln sat by himself on the dock of holding area 3-4 basking in the moonlight. He had his mind scramble for what to do now that his wish to halt the cycle has been rendered moot, when Laura approached from behind.

"Back to brooding, are you?" She asked.

"Well, yeah," he answered, "My entire life has basically been upended, so... I don't know what to do."

"Why not?" Laura sat down beside him, "You have always been sure of yourself, whatever the predicament."

"About that... I made a decision to not return to my family. I didn't know they'd be coming here."

"Clarissa and Mentor told me everything. Apparently, your eldest sibling had a major hand in this."

"Understatement of the century."

"The past is the past," Laura said, "There's nothing that can be done about that since it already happened. The only thing we can do is focus on the present."

"Whoa..."

"I mean it. If you're still hung up on the past, you can take actions to reconcile with it, and then go on with your life. I don't know how long that would take you, but you shouldn't have to be restrained by such a complicated past."

"Holy..." Lincoln did not expect to hear that from Laura, "What beer did you drink out of?"

"The one you persisted on."

"Huh?"

"You peered into my past, and you still insisted on treating me as a person. Not as a weapon."

"Of course, I would. An artificial human is still a living, breathing thing."

Laura momentarily peeked at his facial expression. He seemed a bit forlorn from the days that lay ahead of him, so she thought of a line that might distract him, "I mean, you're the one who taught me that."

Lincoln swerved his head, "Really?!"

Laura turned to face the sky, "Was that your reasoning for shielding me from that blast at point blank range?"

Lincoln turned away. He remembered that part. When his lookalike took over, the first thing they saw was Laura fending off the Gospel by herself. All it took was a slash of its wings to break her AIC to make him snap. He momentarily regained control and hurled himself towards the Gospel, and knocked her out of harm's way. That was all that mattered to him back then.

"No," he simply said, "I didn't have a reason. I just wanted to."

Neither of them responded after that. They let the silence speak for itself.

Ichika lay on the grass under a tree with a squirrel on his chest. He reflected over everything that happened within the past few days, how he had grown and how much room was left for him to develop further into a worthy pilot, especially the battle of the Gospel. Throughout the fight, he successfully turned a one-hit kill sword into a shield to protect several people. And in that final instance, he was able to restrain himself long enough to avoid any casualties.

"I did it, little buddy," he said while petting the squirrel while it was teething on his bracelet, "I protected my comrades."

"Ichika?" Houki approached him from behind.

"Hey, Houki," Ichika responded, "You came here to relax?"

"Yeah, I just wanted to clear my head a little bit," Houki sat behind him and watched the reflection of the moonlight bounce off the school's windows, "So, I guess you had the same idea?"

"More or less," Ichika said, "So, what did Chi-uh...what did Miss Orimura say?"

"We're off the hook. She met with the council the day after she questioned us, and they decided to write it off as an international terrorist incident. Each and every one of us knew what we were doing, and they were the ones that gave Chifuyu the kill order, so they can't say anything about it anymore."

Ichika shook his head, "Haha, those old geezers..."

"You can say that again," Houki smirked.

Ichika nodded, then he realized, "By the way, how's your hair? It got burned in the attack."

"Oh, it'll grow back. It's no big deal," Houki said, "And as for the ribbon, well... I got a new one."

"That's good to know."

A brief moment of silence, mainly due to the ribbon and hair reminding Houki of her mistake of being distracted by the poaching vessel. She still wasn't over it, so she had to wonder how he was able to move despite enduring such a grave impact, "So...are you feeling ok? You got hurt pretty badly..."

"Huh?" Ichika's memory was momentarily jogged, "Oh, I'm fine. My injuries were nothing major in the end. And everyone got back safe and sound, so you don't have to worry."

"But I do. I do have to worry," she protested, "It's my fault you were injured in the first place. Another wrong move, and you would've been killed, so...so..." She looked down.

Ichika's eyes ran to Houki's downtrodden expression. It was clear to him that she needed some sort of acknowledgment of her feelings, but he didn't know how. At first, he sought to provide her some relief, "You don't have to beat yourself up for this, Houki."

"What?"

"You already redeemed yourself in the fight after that, with everyone by your side."

Houki nodded, but she didn't change her expression, which told Ichika that she wanted someone to correct her errors. A sort of punishment was needed.

He cringed at the idea, but he believed it was the best option, "But if you insist..."

Houki saw him standing up, "What are you doing?"

"Your punishment," he said.

"Punishment?!"

"Yes, punishment," he said with a slight hint of sarcasm, which Houki didn't pick up on.

"But..." she tried to protest, but she immediately lost her will. She needed something to take away from the fight that could remind her of the stakes of being a pilot, "...ok, I guess I deserve it."

"Let's see..." Ichika thought hard. What would be a suitable punishment for someone who was prideful in both her triumphs and mistakes. Suddenly it came to him, "I got it. Remember those after school training sessions you had me do?"

"Yeah?..."

"You're gonna do two a day, one before breakfast, and one before dinner, against a team of two pilots each time."

"Two?!" Houki flinched, "That's not fair!"

"Well, so is begging for punishment when you've cleared redeemed yourself," Ichika scratched his head, "so you need to be punished for that as well."

Houki slumped. She thought he would rub it in her face until she says something to ward him off. Then, she figured she could use the opportunity to get fully acquainted with the Akatsubaki. On that notion, she surrendered, "...fine. I'll do it."

"Good," Ichika patted her shoulder, "We'll start tomorrow morning."

Houki pouted. She kept that look until Ichika went inside. Then she sighed in relief, and smiled. She was happy that Ichika acknowledged that she made a mistake, even if she made one a few seconds ago. She could relax now that she was about learn what carrying around a heavy burden means.


	44. OUTRO: Clear Your Mind (Part 3)

The next morning came as fast as it went. Classes were now pumping out promotions for the last class matches of the semester, which also acted as the final exams. The class returned from the trip and turned in their reports, which Chifuyu promptly burned in secret because they were simply a diversionary tactic that spectacularly failed to prevent attention from being drawn to the mission. As soon as after school club activities came around, nearly all students swarmed the 1st year Representative Contenders for some explanation on the spectacle.

"So, hey? What really made the Gospel run wild?" One of the students asked.

"Is it true that there was no one inside it?" Another asked.

"Weren't you afraid when you were fighting? Wasn't it scary?"

The pilots weren't saying anything. They just walked down the hallway with their eyes closed.

"Come on, you guys. Tell us," a student pressured, "The teachers aren't say anything to anybody."

"So sorry," Charlotte sighed, "but the officials have labeled this top secret."

"No kidding...even we haven't been told all the particulars yet..." Rin sipped her tea.

"I understand. You are curious about the situation," Laura explained," but if you knew more, they would place restrictions on you as well. Am I clear?"

Then, the students started to back off:

"Um, I don't think I'd like that..."

"Yeah...I wouldn't wanna be spied on or anything..."

Cecilia looked around and noticed a certain emptiness in the space, "Say, where did Ichika and Houki get off to?"

"They're enacting the punishment as we speak," Laura answered.

"Punishment? What punishment?"

The punishment of endurance. As punishment for both not paying attention to her surroundings during her first fight, and for begging to be punished, Houki has to endure two training sessions a day, until the final exams. Earlier in the day, she faced off against Lincoln and Ichika when they were two separate units, and barely scraped a victory. Now, she was fighting against them one on "one".

"Up high!" Ichika swung his sword downward, making Houki block the swing and prepare for a counter attack.

"Down low!" Lincoln saw her katanas charge for an energy attack and disrupted them with a card to her thighs. Houki tried to gain some distance, but Ichika swung Lincoln outward, giving him enough force and velocity to hit Houki with a shield throw. Houki changed tactics and released her ramming bits, but Lincoln swung Ichika outward and destroyed them. Houki fired off her energy waves, but Ichika shoved Lincoln out front to block the hits, right before Lincoln threw several cards to distract Houki and shoved Ichika out front to return the attack in the like. Houki anticipated that maneuver and attempted to round their backs, but Ichika released a short-ranged Ignition Boost that slammed into Houki and broke her guard.

"TOO SLOW!" The boys screamed as the sword came down and delivered massive damage to the Akatsubaki.

In her mind, Houki had mentally prepared herself to fight two opponents at once. But really, she was fighting a Union knight. Ichika and Lincoln have joined arms to become one unit, with Ichika taking up the sword, and Lincoln utilizing his wing shield.

She wiped the sweat off her brow and panted, "Not exactly a fair fight...if you ask me..."

"That's the point of a punishment!" Lincoln quipped, "Hello!"

"You wanted this, remember?" Ichika took his battle stance.

Houki didn't say anything. She just chuckled as she lunged towards the union knight. She knew her Kenran Boutou required absolute concentration and calmness of her heart, so instead of even bothering to attempt it, she decided to go all out on this training session. This was the only time that Ichika would be fully devoted to her, and she wanted to make sure he couldn't think of anything else tonight.

The other pilots watched the fight from the upper deck courtyard.

"Oh...that punishment..." Cecilia sighed.

"What, you forgot already?" Rin grinned.

"Well...maybe..."

"Don't feel too bad," Charlotte said, "I don't see the point of this either." Then, she saw Houki land a surprise attack on Ichika's backside, "Maybe for self-improvement, but other than that...ehh?"

Laura checked the time and nudged Rin, "We have to prepare now."

"Oh, yeah. Yeah," Rin followed Laura out as Cecilia and Charlotte watched Houki throw everything she had at Ichika and Lincoln and yet suffer a humiliating defeat when both the shield and sword made their way to Houki's blind spot.

Later that night, the trio made their way back to their room, exhausted and sweating profusely.

"That was not fair..." Houki muttered, "You two fused together and became overpowered..."

"Did we dance or polymerize?" Lincoln quipped.

"You lost because you're putting your rage into it," Ichika said, "You need to calm yourself down a lot."

"Oh, get off me!" Houki shoved him, and the three shared a laugh until-

"Is it wise for you to drop your guard now?" Laura startled them from behind.

"GOOD NIGHT, WOMAN!" Lincoln shrieked.

"Laura?" Houki said, "Why are you out this late?"

"She was gaming with me," Rin shocked everyone by taking Laura's side, "And we're next on the training list."

Houki shuddered, "YOU TWO?!"

Ichika looked away, "Uh, yeah... they insisted on going next..."

"Iiiiiiichiiiiikaaaaaaaaa-"

"Ok, that's enough brooding!" Cecilia yanked Houki away, "We have much recovery to do!"

"Wait!" Houki protested, "I haven't said my piece yet!"

"You'll say it tomorrow!"

"No! Get off me! ALCOOOOOOTT?!" And with that, Houki was dragged back into her room.

Clearing Kiyoka and Sayuka's field of vision.

"Oh boy..." Ichika groaned.

"I got this," Lincoln gave him a thumbs up and confronted the two people that attempted to ruin his social life long after he did. When he got to them, they were silent, but he could feel the disdain they still had for him. "It's too late, now," he said, "If you want me to turn tail and cower, you lost your chance."

"We're not going to do anything," Kiyoka said.

"You wanted to be left alone?" Sayuka hissed, "Fine. We'll leave you alone."

Lincoln grinned, "No, you won't..." and turned away.

"If only you'd just stay quiet!" Kiyoka screamed.

"This isn't over, Loud!" Sayuka turned away as well.

"I know..." Lincoln whispered, knowing that he already enacted an insurance policy to make sure that it indeed was over.

The following day was the start of the final exams. Lincoln's insurance policy was very simple: since so many people on the outside believed he wouldn't make it through high school, much less its first semester, the bar was set very low for him; He was the runt of the litter. So, all he had to do was blow it away by excelling in everything he did, with the support of his friends, and the bar would be raised for everyone else.

And that was indeed what happened, because on the Friday after the exams, all test scores were posted for the students to see. At the end of the day, all the students gathered at the bulletin boards to check their scores.

Not surprisingly, Ichika scored at the bottom of the year.

"Oh my g-ugh..." Ichika groaned, "Even after all that work..."

"I don't get it!" Lincoln griped, "What went wrong?!"

"Probably a lapse in memory triggered by..." Charlotte said, and then paused, "...Wait..."

"What's the matter?" Lincoln saw Charlotte trembling, but he couldn't tell if it was shame, or excitement. Then, he saw Ichika's overall score.

"No way..." Charlotte quivered, "The lowest ranked first year...is an 82..."

"Uh, is that good?"

"In terms of the Japanese grading system, it's an A..." Charlotte slightly cringed, "but an 82?..."

"Wow..." Ichika was half smug, and half embarrassed, "Well, when you put it like that-"

"Aw, tough nubs, Orimuu!" A student suddenly hugged him from behind.

"We'll help you study for the next one!" Another said.

"Ok," Ichika nodded, "I'll consider it," and made the girls pout.

Lincoln was still looking at the list of scores and noticed that two were missing. He couldn't find Kiyoka or Sayuka's scores anywhere, so he shrugged it off, believing that they really did turn in their letter of withdrawal.

Cecilia was called to the classroom after school to assist Maya with an urgent matter. She saw Kiyoka and Sayuka sitting at their desks, not bothering to look up, and Hana preparing something for Maya. She walked inside, "Miss Yamada? You needed to see me?"

Maya turned around, "Oh, hello there! You're just in time!"

"For what?..." Cecilia was slightly confused, "I was under the impression that this was an emergency."

"Well, it kinda is..." Maya said, "Do you know what happened the night after the tournament?"

"The night after..." Cecilia didn't want to relive that night because Ichika's decision wasn't with her, "Need I ask..."

"Probably not," Maya said, "Have you heard the rumors about Loud and his family?"

"Oh, yes I have," Cecilia glanced at Kiyoka, "I know who started them as well."

"That's the issue," Hana said, "Miss Orimura gave those two a 25-point penalty on every single final exam. Both scored below 85 on all of them."

"All of them?..." Cecilia was really confused. Normally, that kind of penalty wouldn't make any sense whatsoever...unless the finals themselves accounted for a huge percentage of the final grade, "Wait! Does that mean-"

"Yep," Maya said, "they've hit the F-range."

"Oh my..." Cecilia gasped.

"And the day they returned from the trip," Maya continued, "they turned in their letter of withdrawal...meaning within a few weeks time, they'll be expelled and excommunicated."

Cecilia suddenly became aggravated after hearing that. She couldn't help but think that Kiyoka and Sayuka were running away from taking responsibility for their actions. Why else would they prepare a letter of withdrawal right after taking a penalty? "So," she seethed, "you called me here to set them straight."

"Well, naturally," Maya nodded, "You're one of the few first-year students who broke into the 90s."

"And I'm another one," Hana piped, "I can assist you in the classroom."

"Oh, I see..." Cecilia smirked. She let her pride overtake her body as she approached the two flunkies, "A fitting end for one who would attempt to bend an innocent man to her will, wouldn't you say?"

"Oh, shut up!" Kiyoka shouted, "You would've done that too if you were in our seat!"

For once, Cecilia agreed. She, too, had wanted to get payback on Lincoln for telling Ichika about the bet, but she realized that it was major misunderstanding. She still shared that sentiment, which was why she laid out her statement, "You are quite correct in assuming that...which is why I'm taking corrective action right now."

"What?" Sayuka's face changed, "What corrective action?!"

"I will never be you, and you will never be me," Cecilia said a little too proudly, "Trying to change that is like trying to bring a Golden Age wedding dress into the New Millennium. Something will be lost in translation. It's pointless."

"What exactly are you talking about?!" Kiyoka demanded.

"Your training," Cecilia leaned in, "Starting tomorrow morning, I'm going to drill you into letting go of your petty grudge. This is the only way to eliminate any risk of excommunication."

"HAA?!"

"Don't "HAA?!" me," Cecilia wagged her finger, "You did this to yourself when you decided to withdrawal...right after getting caught."

Kiyoka and Sayuka gritted their teeth in defeat.

"To think you two were to stoop to the level of hoodlums..." Cecilia shook her head, "...I'll have to retrain you very... very thoroughly."

Maya laughed nervously, "Glad to hear you're on board..."

Later that night...

"HUZZAAAAAAHHHHHHH!"

...the group rallied at the school entrance for a celebration bonfire. Kim has been chosen to represent South Korea in the next Mondo Grosso.

"Three cheers to Kim Ha-Jin!" Everyone shouted.

Akina wrung her arms around the new graduate, "This here's living proof that dreams do come true!"

"Hey, I just got my diploma!" Kim yelped, "You better not tear it or anything!"

"It's just a high quality piece of paper!" Rin blared, somehow getting drunk on just a can of soda, "I can easily turn it into a crane!"

"You would do what?!" Kim was somewhat repulsed, "Are you aware of what you just said?!"

"Oh, you want a demonstration?" Rin got into play fight mode and lunged herself at Kim's waist, "Come here, ya looney loofah!"

"NO! GET AWAY!"

"Ooh, let me get in on the fun!" Akina suddenly wanted to chase Kim, but with a friend, "Come on, Houki!"

"Huh?!" Poor Houki, "The hell are you-"

"Are you trying to unhinge me?!" Kim screamed.

"WHAT AM I DOIIIIIIIIIIIII~~~" Houki was dragged all over the courtyard.

Everyone who didn't participate in the chase just laughed it off.

"Ahhhh, such is the life of an IS Representative," Cecilia commented, "You aren't allowed to catch a break."

"Must be nice with all that attention..." Charlotte smugly fantasized.

"I wouldn't put anything past them," Hana raised her soda can, "To free days!"

"KANBAI!" The group raised their cans and took one big gulp, and hurled out a big one.

"OH MY LANTA!" Lincoln pinched his nose, "WHAT HAVE YOU BEEN DRINKING?!"

"Oh, posh off!" Cecilia griped, "It's just diet coke!"

"More like, diet Scope!" Lincoln tapped Ichika's forearm, "Hey, dude! Give her a real can, would you?!"

"Oh, sure," Ichika stopped chatting with. Charlotte and- "Hey, reload!" -tossed Cecilia the same brand of soda.

"Wha-you too?!" Lincoln was offended.

"You know how much sugar's in that can you're holding?!" Ichika shouted at Lincoln.

"And aspartame's any better!"

"Oh, get your hardline ass outta my face!"

"I wouldn't want a cult following anyway!"

"That can be arranged!" Ichika grabbed Lincoln and splashed his soda in his face, "How's the taste of diet mouthwash?!"

"I like it **THIS MUCH!**" Lincoln responded by tainting Ichika's hair with regular soda.

"AGH! Ugh..." Ichika recoiled, "Eww..."

He could feel his hairs slowly sticking together. He actually felt his pores getting clogged by the drink. He grabbed three more cans and shook them, "Oh, you're gonna pay for that, Coke head!"

"Bring it on, Diet fiend!" Lincoln readied a full bottle.

"LET THE BATTLE BEGIIIIIIIIIIIIN!" Hana screamed, signaling the boys to begin their epic fight for dominance.

"Sacre bleu..." Charlotte marveled, "And we were here for a celebration..."

"Perish the thought," Cecilia shrugged it off, "I find it amusing seeing those two argue about my tastes-" SPLASH! "-AUGH-BLLBLLBLLBLLBBLLBLBLBBB..." Cecilia got sprayed with both guns, "What in blue blazes-PBBLLRPBLTPLLBL?!" She got sprayed again.

Lincoln and Ichika froze and turned their heads to the splash zone. They trembled when they sensed a hostile aura emitting from Cecilia.

"You need a break?" Ichika whispered.

"I think we all do..." Lincoln muttered.

"You...How _dare _you..." Cecilia growled, turning their heads to her converting her drones into soda sprayers, "Do you have any idea **_HOW MUCH TIME I GAVE TO MY HAIR?!_**"

"Fish...paste..." the boys started to run for their lives when she started to unload on them.

"**_I DEMAND COMPENSATION FOR THIS HEINOUS CRIME!_**" Cecilia never let up for one millisecond.

"CAN SOMEONE PLEASE TELL ME WHAT THEY ARE YAMMERING ABOUT?!" Lincoln screamed.

While Hana and Charlotte just hung back.

"Is this necessary?" Hana wondered.

"With everything that's happened..." Charlotte mused, "...very necessary."

Hana and Charlotte just sat back on the wooden log and watched the chaos devolve into an incoherent mess.

All the while, a certain bunny-eared woman was watching the moon via makeshift picnic table atop the main communications tower, safely hidden from view.

"Hahhhh...the Byakushiki sure is surprising, isn't it?" Tabane marveled, "It even has the capability of reviving its pilot. Just like..."

"...just like the Shirokishi?" Chifuyu suddenly appeared behind the needle, "Core 001, which you poured all your blood, sweat, and tears into?"

Tabane already sensed that friendly face approaching, and still welcomed her in the embrace, "What's up, Chi-Chan?"

Chifuyu knew what was up, but she had to keep it hidden. Luckily, if there's one thing that Tabane has a serious deficiency of, it's empathy. She just needed to play up to Tabane's strengths and likes to expose that weaknesses and get the answers she needed. First, a casual conversation, "I'd like to speak hypothetically about two scenarios." Then, play up what they already knew, "First, say a certain super genius plants an IS at a certain location...on the day of a certain boy's high school entrance exam. The genius would make sure that's the only one it ever moves. That way, it would look like a boy, who can't operate an IS, actually made it move."

"Hmm..." Tabane smiled smugly, "then, that would've been the only time it moved." She looked up at the moon, reflecting on that moment. Thinking back, she only did that out of curiosity. She purposely had several staff members switch the signs so that only Ichika wouldn't understand them. All she did was plant the IS there, and the rest took care of itself, "Heheheh...but to be honest, even I don't know why the Byakushiki moves. It's really a mystery."

So, not even the creator knew why the IS responded to Ichika. At least, Tabane was occupied with the thought. Now, Chifuyu needed the answer to another question. But she had to word it in the way that doesn't arouse suspicion. So... "Alright, then...let's talk about a certain...disaster," out with it, "Let's say someone wanted to debut someone they thought would be ready to make a statement to the world. But it wouldn't be that impactful unless the situation really called for it. For that someone, she makes her own personal unit... and then ups the stakes by dropping her right in the middle of a rescue mission, in which a damsel was in severe distress, and she needed to assemble a team of heroes to save the day. Quite a grand debut, wouldn't you say?"

Tabane's eyes glittered. She turned to Chifuyu in earnest, "That really would be a super genius, huh?"

"A _true_ super genius..." Chifuyu nodded, "...one who's already managed to hack into the military computers of nearly every country on the face of the planet?"

Tabane giggled. Then, she turned to the countless stars glimmering within the dark canvas. She had a blast with the Akatsubaki, and the Shirokishi. She had a blast manipulating world events, like the incident five years ago...and the one a few days ago. "Say, Chi-Chan..." she wondered, "...does the world seem like a fun place?"

"Well..." Chifuyu closed her eyes and thought, "...more or less, I suppose..."

"I agree." And with that, Tabane was satisfied, and vanished in an instant.

Chifuyu opened her eyes and checked to see if Tabane had truly vanished. Once that was confirmed, she entered a hidden elevator, and descended to ground level, all the while rubbing her forehead in disgust. To think that Tabane was using a human life as a playtoy...but that's what comes with being a super genius. Everything gets boring, but pushing the limits becomes amusing. Such was the life of one whose body was taken beyond all capacities, to the point where human no longer describes her. Such was the life of one who came from severe frailty and vowed to never again return to that dreadful state of mind.

But sorting that out would have to wait. Two gigantic events happened the following week: end of semester ceremonies, which had to be monitored for obvious reasons, and the resettlement of the Loud family, which was a battle in and of itself. By then, Lincoln's surprise visit back home made international headlines, in which the part about Margo's brief IS history was indeed somehow wiped out, but the parts about Margo's family were most certainly left in. Everyone was in shock that one of their students had crossed international borders so brazenly, but that paled in comparison to the horrific story of why he flew. Everyone was now aware of the origin of his powers, which was further supported by salvage home footage and testimonies from neighbors and friends of the Louds. And everyone swarmed Lincoln with all sorts of questions:

"Did you really hate your family that much?"

"How come your sidekicks look like your sisters?"

"Did your sis really use you as a footstool?!"

"Are all Americans like this?..."

"Is Lucy really a goth, or a GINO?"

"Is that why you ran from your own home to come here?!"

"Why didn't you say anything about Aizawa or Yorutake?!"

"Could Lynn really have made the Olympics this year?"

"Which unfortunate soul has been cursed with the name 'Flip'?"

"What do you think is the ideal family size?"

"What the heck is wrong with Luan?"

"Patience, patience," Card Counter gently (pushed back against the tide of questions with rock-solid barriers), "Mr. Savvy will field your queries one at a time."

Lincoln had to stop every five seconds to give some sort of answer that warded them off. He only found solace in the nighttime, when 1025 became a hideout for his friends to escape from the real world. On the night before Kim's commencement, they decided to hold a party for everyone in their tightly knit group, at an arcade.

Houki didn't participate in much of the festivities, however; she spent the majority of the night on the floor, "Uuuuuhhhhh...my legs..."

"What a shame," Cecilia sat on the bench and waved her hair, "You haven't once gotten your One-Off Ability working again. Was it your lack of concentration?"

"It was a lot of things..." Houki groaned, "Ichika said my punishment would be until finals..."

"But then, you couldn't take so many L's in a row," Rin chuckled, "So you kept going until you got a W..." then, she noogied Houki, "And how many chicken dinners did you feast upon?"

Houki sighed, "Ugh...one..."

"Against a handicapped Fusion Knight, no less-Haaaahahahahahahaaa!" Rin yowled.

"Oh, you reckless little rascal," Cecilia playfully taunted, "I'd be more than happy to take you under my wing."

"Eulgh..." Houki retched, "No..."

Just then, Lincoln and Ichika bolted out of the bathroom.

"Everyone in position!" Lincoln gipped.

"She's coming!" Ichika jumped under the sheets, "Get the cake!"

"Rin, the present!" Charlotte tossed Rin a huge box to hide. Everyone hid behind something and waited for Kim to arrive.

Which turned out to be very futile because Kim arrived thirty seconds later...behind them, without their noticing her.

"Uh...what's taking so long?..." Rin was getting impatient.

"Maybe she needed to care for her image for her final celebration," Cecilia wondered.

"Image for what?" Houki whispered, "Why waste time on that nonsense?!"

Lincoln commed over to Laura, "Bun-bun to Black Hare, do you have a visual on the target?"

"Will you please stop with the inappropriate nicknames?" Laura groaned.

"Just focus on the task at hand!" Lincoln whispered, "Do you have a visual?"

"I do. Thirty meters and closing."

"What?!" Ichika exclaimed, "Where?! Has she gone inside yet?!"

Suddenly, a shout from directly behind, "YES, I HAVE!"

**"AAAAA!"** Everyone yelped.

"Sorry, sorry," Kim chuckled, "Didn't mean to startle you..."

Everyone crawled out of their hiding space, gasping for air.

"I thought you hadn't arrived yet..." Hana muttered.

"Seriously..." Rin panicked, "What's wrong with everyone?..."

"Didn't Laura day she was outside?..." Ichika huffed.

And then another voice, this time directly behind him, "I never said such a thing."

"**_WOOHAHAHAH-_**" Ichika and Charlotte leaped into the air and landed on the table, causing a massive mess of silverware and juice, "Ugh..."

"WHAT IS THE MATTER WITH YOU?!" Lincoln and Rin screamed.

"Your surprise surprise was so primitive that I couldn't help but inform Akina and Kim about its horrendousness," Laura blankly said.

"THAT AIN'T THE PROBLEM HERE, MISSY!" Rin jabbed a finger at Laura's chin while Lincoln sighed in resignation.

Then, Akina suddenly plopped herself onto Laura's hair, "The real problem is, we're not having party yet! What's the hold up?!"

Laura groaned.

From that point on, it was a night of merriment. Everyone was playing their hearts out, and they didn't mind the sweat that erupted from their bodies. They just took it as a sign that they were having the right kind of fun, and they wanted more, most of all Lincoln, mainly because it was the end of the semester, but also because he wanted to forge a bond as strong as possible with his new family. This was the kind of sibling companionship he had been searching for, and he was determined to ride it out to its end.

He may have been done with his old family, but they most certainly weren't done with him. The next day, the Louds safely arrived in Hokkaido and went straight to a rural landscape, where a house similar to their old home awaited them.

"Well, this isn't so bad," Lana said, "We have a ton of farmland to play around in, no noisy neighbors, and our own rice fields."

"I'd hardly call this consolation," Lisa doubted, "I'll have to restart my work from scratch."

"Hehehehhh," for some reason, Leni thought it appropriate to interrupt their moment, "WELCOME TO THE RICE FIELDS, MOTHERF-"

Lisa quickly covered Leni's mouth, "Quiet."

The older siblings ran inside to inspect the new house. Everything seemed fine, but it was an eerie feeling seeing all the furniture, appliances, and utensils, with none of the decorations or pictures. Even the bedrooms were copied perfectly. Everything was the same...with one very stark difference. This house was designed to function off-grid, meaning all essential appliances came with their own solar-lunar panels. The house had no plugs whatsoever. No TVs, internet, or signal of any sort.

"You're kidding...no!" Lori panicked after realizing what would become of her in the immediate future and ran outside, "You can't settle for this! Why would you-" She stopped when she saw Lynn on a wheelchair, sleeping soundly, "Wh...what is that?..."

"Yo," Luna gasped, "What's she doing here?"

"Wasn't she supposed to be at a hospital or something?" Lola asked.

"Sorry, kiddos," Lynn Sr had the honor of wheeling Lynn...and all medical equipment...by himself, "Your mother insisted on this," he grunted, "Luna, Lori, can you grab the IVs and ventilators?"

Lucy stayed with Rita on the porch while the older ones walked Lynn inside.

"Are you sound, mother?" Lucy asked.

Rita didn't give an answer. She just stared at the surrounding environment.

"I'll admit," Lucy said, "It's very beautiful...for a place we don't belong." She let the silence sink in for a moment, then continued, "Well, at least we'll have more time to write to our hearts' content...perhaps an adventure seeker whose entire life was upended by a family secret?"

Rita twitched upon hearing that and walked back inside. Lucy continued to stare at the lush greens and the water that reflected them perfectly. "Spirits of the river," she whispered, "please do not let my family discover the Suicide Forest..."

Inside, Lynn Sr and Luan settled LJ on the couch and disconnected all medical equipment from her. She was now just a sleeping beauty, motionless as the others started speculating.

"Is she going to be mad, though?" Luna wondered.

"What do you mean?" Lori griped.

"I mean, she had to have been told something after fighting Margo head on. Surely, Margo blabbed about everything..."

"I doubt it," Luna shook her head, "That was a pretty fierce fight to have a conversation."

"Well, we won't know until she wakes up," Lynn Sr said, "Everyone give her some space."

The moment Lynn's eye twitched, everyone held their breaths and stepped back. She started breathing normally, and then slowly opening her eyes. "Mmm...mmmmmm..." she tried to stretched her body, but...she lost all feeling in her body, "Hmm...whoa...didn't expect that...Is this what being crippled feels like?..."

Rita couldn't hold herself back and encapsulated Lynn in a mama hug, "Oh, my baby! You're finally back!"

"BGACK?!" Lynn yelped, "Help! Somebody!" She gasped when Rita was grabbed and pushed aside, "HOY...oh my goodneeee-oof!" She fell on her back again, "Uh...I'm sorry about this, but my body seems to be..."

The sisters were close to crying.

"It's ok, little sis..." Luan said, "What matters is that you're back with us..."

"We'll help you get better, little chica," Luna rubbed Lynn's shoulder, "We'll get you walking again, no problem."

"What they sahahahahaaaaid!" Leni lost it and hugged Lynn while crying her heart out.

Lynn blinked, "Um...your tears are staining my shirt..."

"I know that!" Leni sobbed, "I just...I just..." she regained her composure and backed off, "I just missed you so much..."

"So did I," Lori sat beside her.

"Whoa..." Lynn felt her head being carried to Leni's shoulder.

"Look," Lori muttered, "I know nothing I do can fix what happened to you, but can you at least find it in your heart to walk with us through this crazy journey?"

"Um...ok..." Lynn just nodded her head.

Then, her mother came around, "Lynn...honey...you're awake?..."

"Yes, I am," Lynn nodded.

"Oh, my baby..." Rita cried and hugged again, "I am so sorry that I couldn't save you...but I am prepared to make it up to you..." she cuddled Lynn's cheeks and looked into her eyes, "If there's anything...anything we can do for you, just say the word, and we'll do it!"

Lynn immediately accepted her offer, "Well...there's one thing I've been wondering..."

"Yes! What is it?!" Rita's heart was momentarily aflutter with joy, "Just say the word!" But then, it was instantly shattered when she heard these words...

"Can you tell me who you are? I don't think I'm supposed to be associated with you."

"...Huh?...Wait...Huh?..."

"Wait, waitwaitwaitwait..." Lori got up, "What did you just say?!"

"I mean, I appreciate the...extreme hospitality," Lynn blatantly said, "but I don't know any of you people. This isn't something you do for total strangers, is it?"

Rita froze. Her hands were stuck in midair as she realized what had happened.

Leni panicked, "Lynn? Buddy? You're just pulling out strings, right?"

"This is just a prank, right?" Luan giggled in horror, "You've just gone for a run to jog your memory, right? Right?!"

Lynn shook her head. There was no denying it now.

Lynn has amnesia.

Immediately, the girls scattered all over the property, searching for anything that might trigger Lynn's memories.

Lori ran outside and yelled, "DID ANYBODY SAVE ANY PICTURES OF US?!"

"Why? What happened?" Lola asked.

"LYNN HAS AMNESIA!" LORI BELLOWED, "SHE CAN'T REMEMBER WHO WE ARE! OR WHO SHE IS!"

"What?!"

For four hours, while a broken-hearted Rita tended to Lynn, the rest of the family tore the property and luggage apart, trying to find something, anything, that showed Lynn in a photo with her kin. Nothing turned up. They came to the conclusion that the physical form of those precious memories were incinerated per order of the police, to prevent any possibility of tracing them or any of their friends back to them.

Those memories long past, now gone. Buried deep within the subconscious of everyone around Lynn.

That night was spent in sorrow. No one even bothered to prepare a meal due to the pure shock of Lynn's new condition. The family, sans Lynn and Rita, gathered round the living room to discuss their next move...if there was one.

"I heard the news," Lynn Sr solemnly said, "This is our new reality, now. We will have to adjust to it no matter what."

"I agree..." Lisa said, "Prioritizing Lynn's memory recovery will not have any effect on current or future events."

"How could you say that?" Lana was appalled, "This is our sister we're talking about!"

"I just did a scan with the available equipment, which is the most advanced in the world," Lisa shook her head, "Her hippocampus has suffered permanent damage...most likely overexposure from the raw, unfiltered pure energy from the Silverio Gospel's lasers."

"What on earth do gases have to do with this?!" Leni freaked, "We cannot just sniff the memories away!"

"Actually, the IS is relatively new..." Lisa explained, "Not much is known about it. Not even its weapons."

"So, what are we going to do?!" Leni demanded, "We can't just leave her like this!"

"Well..." Lynn Sr curled his fists, "...Lying is no longer an option."

"I agree," Lucy raised her hand, "From now on, we treat her as a family member. Because she is one."

"And we'll do it all over," Luan said.

"We're gonna keep the name Lynn," Luna said, "but she ain't gonna be the gung ho sports hawk she used to be. We're gonna have to treat her right."

"Yes," the father nodded, "After we tell her everything that's happened thus far."

Lori, Leni, Luna, and Luna looked at each other, very worried that they might lose this Lynn as well, but they gave each other the eye of resignation. They recognized that they were relocated because of a secret they eventually forgot about.

"Are we clear on our plan?" Lynn Sr recapped, "We will raise Lynn as the new Lynn only after she accepts the past. After that, no more secrets. Am I clear?" He got many nods in response, but he still wasn't satisfied, "Lisa. Lori. You two stay. Everyone else, bedtime."

Meanwhile, Rita had changed Lynn into a dress that was meant for the victory celebration for the football game.

"Do you like it, honey?..." Rita asked.

"It's beautiful," Lynn said.

"You won us the football tournament," Rita said while the tears flowed, "This was your dress to do as you pleased, Lynn."

"Really?" Lynn raised an eyebrow, but not because of the dress, "I look more like a Sydney kind of girl..."

"No, don't say that..." Rita interrupted, "A Sydney would never be able to pull off this kind of natural beauty..."

Lynn wasn't paying any attention to Rita. She was just looking at her reflection in the mirror and momentarily saw herself as a blonde woman with long hair, "No. Uh-Uh. No. I am Lynn. Not Syd. Lynn."

"Sweetie...please..." Rita's voice quivered, "You're breaking my heart..."

Lynn could tell that she triggered a huge nerve, "Oh. I'm sorry. I should've said something else."

Rita could tell. This was...and wasn't...her daughter. Lynn had reverted back to her pre-fight persona. She couldn't get her daughter back if she tried. All she could do was move on. All she could do was raise her as one of her own. But this time, she would do it right; she would raise the daughter she always wanted. Anything to mend the void in her heart.

The next morning, Kim was at the train station waiting for her can to take her to the airport. Lincoln and Laura accompanied Kim to the final stop.

"I never thought that the title of IS Representative was successory," Laura said.

"It depends on the country," Kim responded, "I heard that South Africa makes you fight the current IS Representative for the title."

"Jesus Christ..." Lincoln breathed.

"So," Kim cleared her throat, "I hear your family did you dirty and have gone into hiding."

"I know," Lincoln said, "I blabbed about everything. No more secrets. Not ever."

"Then, pray tell," Kim winked, "Have you told Ronnie Anne about your new companions yet?"

"GLUP?!" Lincoln flinched, "I haven't any contact with her since I told her..."

"Oh my," Kim snickered, "That's not good."

"Agreed," Laura showed her disdain, "This is just plain idiocy."

"Oh, get off my case, why don't you!" Lincoln snapped, right when they have arrived at the assigned cab.

"Well, this is it," Kim said to Lincoln and Laura, "I will miss our random encounters and fun memories."

"It was a rather enjoyable experience meeting you," Laura shook Kim's hand.

"I would have liked to face you in a practice bout," Kim mused, "Maybe another time."

"I will be looking forward to it," Laura nodded.

Kim then turned to Lincoln, "Well, little Loud, it's been real."

"It's been good," Lincoln responded.

"And at times, it's been real good," Kim chuckled, "It was an honor serving with you, Lincoln."

Lincoln and Kim shared one last hug before Kim waved goodbye. And with that, she departed for the airport, leaving Lincoln and Laura alone to retrace their steps back to the Academy.

"So, what now?" Laura asked, "With everything that's happened this semester, there will be brand new foes to defeat, and far more dangerous threats to eliminate."

"And next semester might be even crazier, now that the whole world is speculating about the Gospel," Lincoln commented, "We have to be ready for anything."

"This Phantom Task group Clarissa speaks of might be a good starting point. They managed to claim the Gospel, so one can only assume that they have confiscated even more powerful units."

"Ohohooo, boy!" Lincoln got pumped, "We're up against a supervillain organization! This is gonna be epic!"

Laura smiled, "In what way?"

"Oh, you know!"

"I hope you can control your emotions long enough to not attract Phantom Task too soon."

"I have cured my emotional diarrhea, thank you very much!"

Laura chuckled, then suddenly flashed to the briefing she was given the night of her final exam. Clarissa gave a full report of the battle of Chicago, including how Lynn fought her hardest despite being fatigued, and how she gave her life to save Lincoln's. "Your family's unique..."

"Uh-" Lincoln was thinking about the same thing, "In some ways, yeah..."

"I would liked to have met them...in a different time..."

Lincoln sighed, "Yeah...me too..."

As the two continued walking, Kim had driven to the airport, where she went to the private lounge and opened up her cellphone in privacy, "안전 해. (Go secure)." She waited until someone picked up on the other end. When the ringtone stopped, she started, "Your pilot did a marvelous job. I was quite jealous of Akina."

"Oh, please. Have a little more faith in Autumn," a womanly voice serenely mused, "Even I can tame her with just the right push."

"Yes," Kim said, "Though I did suggest that M would have been a much better choice."

"That Loud is a pint-sized Ichika," the voice countered, "We cannot risk one of more unstable agents compromising personal well-being."

"...yeah...true..."

"So...I probably shouldn't ask, but...your semester...how'd it go?"

"Hmhmhmhmhm..." Kim grinned, "They never suspected a thing." And with that, she disconnected the call.

The PA sounded the last call for her flight, "THIS IS THE FINAL BOARDING CALL FOR FLIGHT K-3009 TO SEOUL. PLEASE COME TO GATE 8 AT THIS TIME."

Kim flashed her hair and went on her merry way, knowing full well the chain of events she was about to set off...

...and she was excited, "I wonder how you're going to clean up this mess, Lincoln Loud..."

**SEASON ONE END**


End file.
